Born and raised in the small copper town, Superior, Arizona, my art is inspired by my Mexican heritage, its cultural icons, imagery, and by the events that have shaped my life. I am strongly influenced by my grandmother, who always encouraged me to create, and of the stories she passed onto me. Stories that not only give place and meaning to our existence but also on the allegorical and universal experiences that we all share; issues of identity, humor, life, love, death, spirituality, dreams and memories. My goal is that my paintings will be brought to life to tell their own stories. I strive to invoke humor, irony, social conscience, and a sense that although we all engage in behaviors that differentiate ourselves from one another, we are all still connected to one community. Inspired by Mexican folk artists who make art from the heart and with whatever materials they have at hand, my mixed media and assemblages are created with found objects that are reassembled, reimagined and recreated into a new life and new meaning.
Excerpt from Costello, Emily. 2015. “Artist’s Statement: Stories, Social Conscience and Art.” Journal of Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social 14(2): 10-12.
