Abigail Garcia

Year of birth: 2003.
Where do you live: Ypsilanti, MI.
Your education: Wayne State University.
Describe your art in three words: Expressive, narrative, layered.
Your discipline: Multidisciplinary: printmaking, painting, illustration, jewelry design.
Website | Instagram

Your work is deeply influenced by your Filipino heritage. Could you elaborate on how you blend these cultural influences into your art?

My Filipino heritage is an integral part of my artistic identity. I often incorporate traditional motifs, historical symbols, and indigenous craftsmanship into my work. One example is my enameled hand jewelry and earring set, which was inspired by traditional Filipino tattoo patterns. I see my art as a way to honor and preserve aspects of my culture, especially those that have been overshadowed by colonial influences. By weaving elements of history with contemporary design, I aim to create pieces that resonate with both personal identity and collective memory.

You explore themes of identity and human connection. What does belonging mean to you, and how do you visually express this in your work?

Belonging, to me, is the intersection of personal history and shared experience. I often depict themes of connection through the physicality of touch, intertwined forms, or layered compositions that mimic the complexity of identity. Whether through intimate portraiture, symbolic jewelry, or abstracted figures, I strive to capture the feeling of searching for—or reclaiming—a place in the world.

Abigail Garcia | Between Freedom and Fear | 2025

How do you navigate between different mediums like printmaking, painting, and jewelry design? What does each medium allow you to express differently?

Each medium serves like a different language for my ideas. For me, printmaking allows for repetition and storytelling, creating layered narratives. Painting offers an expressive, fluid way to capture emotion and movement. Jewelry design, on the other hand, is tactile and intimate—it turns art into something wearable and deeply personal. Switching between these mediums keeps my creativity flexible and helps me explore different aspects of my concepts.

The vibrant energy of urban life seems to inspire much of your work. How does your environment shape the ideas you explore in your art?

Being in an urban environment has made me hyper-aware of fleeting moments—crowded streets, shifting lights, human interactions. I’m drawn to overlooked details, like the way shadows move across buildings or how people occupy shared spaces. This translates into my work through layered compositions, contrasting textures, and dynamic color palettes that reflect the movement and beat of city life.

Abigail Garcia | Someone I Don’t Know | 2023

You mention pushing the boundaries of your creativity. Can you share a recent example where you stepped outside your comfort zone and experimented with a new technique?

Recently, I challenged myself with speed figure drawing, moving away from my usual meticulous approach. This forced me to focus on gesture and energy rather than perfection. I also experimented with combining printmaking techniques with painting, layering textures in a way I hadn’t before. Both experiences reminded me that growth happens in discomfort, and stepping outside my comfort zone has led to exciting new directions in my work. 

As a young artist at Wayne State University, how has your education influenced your artistic development so far?

Wayne State has exposed me to new techniques and perspectives that have pushed my practice further. The industrial design program has encouraged me to think about functionality and form in a way I hadn’t before, while my art minor keeps me grounded in expressive and conceptual work. Balancing both disciplines has helped me refine my creative voice and given me the confidence to experiment beyond traditional boundaries.

Abigail Garcia | Ode of Thorns and Ink | 2024

You’ve mentioned a fresh perspective on everyday moments. Can you explain how you capture beauty in the seemingly mundane?

I find beauty in small, quiet moments—light reflecting off a window, the way people interact in passing, the textures of worn-down surfaces. These details may seem ordinary, but when framed through an artistic lens, they tell stories of time, presence, and change. In my work, I choose to highlight these subtleties through composition and color choices, inviting viewers to pause and see familiar things in a new way.