Creator Spotlight: The Surrealist Collages of Woman the Creator
Title of work: The France Series
Artist statement:
Since I launched Woman the Creator in November 2024, I’ve sought opportunities for professional artistic development. Last year I attended an artist residency in France for three weeks. During my time there I explored the small village I resided in and incorporated the place in my digital collages while thoughtfully displaying my personal quotes in a typographic way. I used my digital camera to study interesting things I saw, and mixed in carefully selected stock photography to create each compelling piece. The nine-piece series I created captures both of my passions for art and design in a captivating way.
Digital tools are my main medium. With over 15 years of experience, I navigate Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop with fluency and intention. I find joy in using the Pen tool in Illustrator, clipping and masking images, shapes, and textures with precision. My process is playful and experimental, layering typography, blending transparencies, and manipulating color until a visual story emerges. I’m always seeking new ways to convey my art, so I’ve been experimenting with video collages in Premiere Pro to include movement in a way that draws people in.
Artist bio:
My name is Yesenia aka Woman the Creator. This ongoing passion project under this artist alias is a deeply personal exploration of the world within and around me as a Mexican-American woman, expressed through surrealist digital and video collages. Each piece is a visual meditation, capturing the complex relationships between people, places, and things. My work is rooted in storytelling, revealing how I make sense of life’s chaos and beauty through a creative lens.
My journey as an artist began in childhood, when I was first recognized for my creativity. A pivotal experience at the California Institute of the Arts during high school solidified my commitment to creating art. I later pursued a graphic design degree at the Academy of Art University in 2009, where I sharpened both my artistic vision and technical skills. In 2016, I experienced a major mental health crisis that temporarily interrupted my creative path. But through resilience and ongoing healing, I returned to design in 2021 with a renewed sense of purpose, fusing design with art to express my internal world.
I offer a unique voice that reflects the intersection of mental health and contemporary digital practice. By participating in exhibitions such as the California State Fair, local pop-ups, and international residencies, I bring global influences back to my community and engage in meaningful exchange. My commitment to growth allows me to evolve as an artist while fostering innovation in the mediums I work with. My work not only adds to the diversity of the creative scene, but also invites others to see beauty in their vulnerability, and to explore the unseen worlds within themselves.
My long-term vision for Woman the Creator is not only about creating art: it’s about reclaiming my narrative, finding meaning, and embracing beauty and adversity. Every collage becomes a mirror and a memory. It’s thrilling to transform emotion and experience into visual form, capturing the ever-evolving world that lives both outside and within me.
www.WomanTheCreator.com
Instagram: @womanthecreator
