Ellyx Martinez is a Mestizo artist based in Richmond, VA. Their work in pastel and ceramic revolves around the recovering of identity in colonized Western society, illuminating forms and symbols that reference ancestral memory, Southwestern folklore, cyclical love, and land vitality. Braiding their personal historical research into their longings for home, they articulate scenes filled with received images filled with glowing figures in dreamy yet familiar landscapes.
Martinez has participated in multiple invitational residencies in Appalachia, received local and international grants to support their continued research, and has shown in Richmond, VA as well as Knoxville, TN in juried and opening shows, all while participating in multiple internships at local galleries, studios, and art institutions. They will graduate in December 2023 with their Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University.
