Art amplifies the human capacity to perceive, heal, develop critical thinking, and engage in civic (and civil) participation while providing tangible memories and sources for dreams. Art became the language that helped me translate the feelings of helplessness I experienced while working with a growing number of individuals considered underprivileged, or, as Paulo Freire would say, oppressed. But aren’t we all oppressed in this corporate-led society mistakenly called democratic? What makes us conform to an unacceptable reality? Why are we becoming a culture of silence? My work reflects these questions and my personal experiences by creating appealing stylized images to lure you into investigating their content and our reality.
Natalia Grass Lukey is a mixed-media artist interested in communicating socio-political concerns as well as personal experiences in an attempt to increase dialogue and solidarity. Originally from Brazil, also raised in Russia, she currently resides in Hawai`i. Natalia earned her Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2006 where she is presently enrolled in the Art’s program. From 2002-2020 she worked in the mental health field, intensifying her interest in art, and became a mother, galvanizing her towards activism.