Maritza Davila

Maritza Dávila is a Latin American artist born in Puerto Rico in 1952. Dávila is currently a professor at Memphis College of Art in Tennessee, where she has taught printmaking since 1982.

Family and influences Growing up, she was raised in a Catholic home with four sisters and a strong family foundation. Dávila's mother was a caring woman who supported her through life. Her father's dedication to music and learning aspired and shaped Dávila's career as an artist. Her artwork includes collagraphs, serigraphs, and prints. Her art reflects from her Puerto Rican culture using many influences and memories.

Education Dávila studied art education at University of Puerto Rico in 1970. She graduated the university with a bachelor's degree in art education in 1974 and continued to study art in New York. She attended Pratt Institute in New York City and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1977. Dávila also trained under Clare Romano, a printmaker and painter, as an intern for printmaking. |

Artwork

The Three Wise Men In 1993, Dávila created a mixed media sculpture about the birth of Christ. Using an abstract approach, she creates this three dimensional that allows one to view her artwork from different angles. In her sculpture, one can see the three wise men dressed in colorful attire through rectangular openings. Because this vertical box has slits and openings around it, the openings expose the men; however, her work of abstract appears when one can't fully view the entire artwork from the openings. Dávila's unique way of positioning the figures create a sacred theme. The rectangular sculpture is created with gold-plated cardboard, while the figures are created with colorful paper. This religious mixed media sculpture is something that now plays a huge role in American art. 2015- Mi Sur/ My South, Memphis 2015-2016- We Are You Project, Kean University Human Rights Institute 2016- Le Monster Project, Memphis College of Art 2018- Print Making and the Political Present, University of Memphis 2018- RiverArtsFest Invitational ArtShow, Memphis 2018- North American Print Exhibition, Hawaii 2018- La litografia en otros con-textos, Argentina

Collections Dávila has her work and collections in many parts of the world such as the US, Europe, and Asia. Her work that is shown in collections are included in many libraries and museums such as the National Library of Spain, National Library of Paris, Museum of Art and History at the University of Puerto Rico, and Library of Congress.

Honors and awards In 2018, Dávila received the ArtsAccelerator grant which is presented to artists to help them expand and deepen their artwork.