Odilia Iaccarino 

Artist Statement:

My decision to incorporate the iconic figure of La Menina goes back to a gray Christmas in 1983, a chapter of my life that left deep wounds. That December my mother died unexpectedly from a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving me responsible for my three younger siblings. I discovered that La Menina was Me; a girl trapped in the space where she could no longer exist without the sudden responsibility of caring for my siblings with affection and education, trying to give stability to our lives. 

Moving forward in time to 2018, I took a trip to Madrid, and while doing a tour on a fresh, sunny day I was able to see the giant sculptures of Las Meninas that captivated me the moment I stood in front of them. Las Meninas adorned the panoramic scene and had been placed on a location of interest, with their wide skirt, arms at their waists and their abundant hair whimsically brushing the shoulders. A true beauty I might say! 

They inspired me, and in 2021 I introduced the figure of La Menina into my work as a simultaneous reflection of all I endured. Having Las Meninas as my inspiration, brought an ease to narrating moments of my life within the canvas. They represent my story; how the girl in me will continue tirelessly facing new challenges, new dreams and of course, the next chapter.

Artist Bio:

Odilia Iaccarino a self taught painter with Mexican decent working mostly with oil pastels, acrylics, and graphite in her studio at The Cotton Mill, Arts District in McKinney, TX. Odilia’s artistic career has seen national and international exhibitions with the most recent in the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History , New Mexico and Internationally in Milan, Italy where she had her first metaverse and mixed reality experience lead by the hand of M.A.D.S Gallery . Art Expo in Santa Fe, NM and Brownsville Fine Arts Museum TX. She has demonstrated at the Dallas Trade Center and published a two page feature in the art book,” Artfolio 2022 “. A Feature spread in the New Visionary Art Collective Magazine, issue #10 New York. International publication Contemporary Art Collectors / Noble Art Conversations 2024. Iaccarino is the recipient of great awards 2023- from organizations including Mundial de artists integrados, Federation de gestadores culturales, First Place- Museum of fine arts Brownsville “. 2022- First Place- Lelie art award , Amsterdam and, International artist at the Contemporary Art Fair Milano, Italy. She received the People’s Choice award for her “Natural Wonders” collection, winning the first and second place recognition by the Arts Association of Plano, Texas. Odilia Iaccarino maintains a relationship in the art field with professional businesses and with high profile agencies in the interior design industry from the US. She is also an active member of the PAA, (Plano Arts Association) , VALA, (Visual Art League of Allen), VAGF, (Visual Arts Guild of Frisco) and VAL, (Visual Art League of Lewisville ), all in the state of Texas.