Alebrijes and Small Beings

Palmetto Luna’s Laboratorio del Arte residency’s exhibition is here! Featuring works by Yelita Diaz and Laura Lesllo, Alebrijes and Small Beings is an exhibition celebrating the imagination of two Latina artists exploring Surrealistic and Magical Realistic themes in painting and sculpture.

Laura Lesllo’s Alebrijes are imaginary creatures attributed to the papier mache artist Pedro Linares Lopez in the 1930s in Mexico City. Click here for a full history of the Alebrijes. Yelita Diaz’s sculptures, called Small Beings, provoke whimsical, delicate and poignant vignettes of the human condition, while blending representational and abstract compositions in 2D and 3D forms.

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Yelitza Diaz

Born in Venezuela, Yelitza Diaz’s life has been wrapped in the arts since childhood. She founded a gallery with her husband, who is also an artist, and was successful for many years until the crime and corruption in the local government became unbearable. They now live in South Carolina, where she makes art that explores human existentialism and the political and social developments of her native country. Her sculptures are made with ceramic techniques using a minimalist contemporary style. Fun fact: Yelitza designed the town seal for her native Municipio Falcón in Venezuela.

Laura Lesllo

Born in Mexico D.F., and raised in the city of Guanajuato, Mexico, Laura Lesllo obtained her artistic training at several institutions such as Guanajuato University, 1998-2001; Institute of Fine Arts, San Miguel de Allende, 1996-1997; Academy of San Carlos, 2003; and Jesús Reyes Heroles museum, Mexico D.F., 2004; and nder the direction of the recognized art professors: Luis Nishizawa, Othon Tellez and Benjamín Domínguez.

Laura has exhibited her surreal paintings at diverse venues including: Tomás Chávez Morado Museum in Guanajuato, 2000, Mexico; and Sisters Cities Festival in Laredo, Texas, USA, 2008-2009. Simultaneously, Laura has combined her passion for painting with her professional work as model for photographers, painters and sculptors during art sessions.

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About the Organization: Palmetto Luna’s mission is to foster an understanding of the Hispanic/Latino culture by promoting artistic creation and providing opportunities for cultural expression for the community in South Carolina.

• Create awareness of the Hispanic/Latino arts and culture in South Carolina.
• Expand the scope of art exhibitions and art education in South Carolina to include Hispanic/Latino artists in order to present more diverse insights and inspiration and the often misunderstood cultural manifestation of Hispanic/Latino artists.
• Help to integrate the rapidly growing Hispanic/Latino population into the mainstream arts community.
• Promote emerging Hispanic/Latino artists in South Carolina.
• Empower the Hispanic/Latino community through collaborative public art programs.

About Tapp’s Arts Center and the Tapp’s Initiative:The Tapp’s Initiative was developed to bring contemporary art production, practice and community engagement to the Columbia/Midlands area.  Each resident has full access to their own studio space for four months. Throughout this time, the resident artist will realize a site-specific project, and invite the public to discuss and interact with the contemporary artwork during several open-gallery events. The interactive aspect of the Tapp’s Initiative furthers an understanding of contemporary art, modes of practice, and how visual language functions in ‘building’ culture, both locally and abroad.

Tapp’s Arts Center is giant artistic laboratory focused on community engagement. We encourage artistic agency through exhibitions, cultural events, workshops, classes, and studios to help Columbia create, learn and grow.