Every artist draws inspiration from something different, whether it’s a doodle in their notebook, the natural landscape around them, or an artist they admire. For Liliana Perez Olvera, Highland’s art Sterling Scholar, that creative inspiration comes from her family and her culture.
Through her art, Perez Olvera, whose family is from Mexico, shares her culture and portrays how much her family and her heritage means to her.
“I think a big part of it comes from wanting to show Latino culture, because I feel like yes, there’s a lot of it, but [..] it’s kind of overshadowed,” Perez Olvera said. “Especially here at Highland, I feel like I’m one of them only Mexican students in my [art] class. And I think it’s really important to show [my culture].”
Perez Olvera has been making art since she was a kid and has taken classes at Highland since she was a freshman. But when Highland art teacher Tera Hunter encouraged Perez Olvera to continue painting and to apply for the Sterling Scholar award, that was when she realized that art was something she wanted to pursue.
“[Hunter] didn’t force me, but she kind of made me because she knew that my art stood a chance,” Perez Olvera said. “I’m glad she did, I worked harder than I thought I would, [and] it made me think that okay, yes, art is something I can do.”
Perez Olvera won an award at the Springville art show this year and Hunter knew that her art connected with people and knew that she had a chance of getting the scholarship.
“Liliana is unique in that she always brings herself into every piece she does, so it’s not just her style—it’s who she is as a person,” Hunter said. “Every single piece I’ve ever seen from her, even the classroom assignments, they have […] a little bit of her in it. It’s got that emotional connection in every single one.”
Perez Olvera paints mostly portraits using acrylic paint. She does many paintings of her family, each one filled with love and emotion. In many of her paintings, Perez Olvera incorporates flowers to show her culture more.
One of her favorite paintings from this year is called Abuelitos Desconosidos; it is a portrait of her grandparents. The painting represents how culture is passed down from generation to generation.
The piece is one she created for her AP Art portfolio as a part of her sustained investigation. The sustained investigation is a collection of pieces—in Perez Olvera’s case, paintings—that all align under a specific statement or question. For Perez Olvera, her sustained investigation is focused on showing how her culture made her the person she is today.
After graduating, Perez Olvera has plans to continue her education at Salt Lake Community College and pursue illustration. Perez Olvera is proud to share her Latino culture with the Highland community and to increase representation through her art.
