Cultural inheritance, and Mythology meet in Contemporary Art
I first met Filipina and Puerto Rican Artist Jaili Ramirez when she exhibited her artwork in the Lat Am Caribbean Show at the Stamford Art Association. She recently closed her solo exhibit In Her Image at the Arbor Gallery in Carmel, New York. I did not have a chance to view the exhibit in-person or visit the gallery. However, the Arbor is on my Galleries to visit list! Jaili invited me to review her artwork virtually.
Jaili’s artwork is inspired by women not being depicting “…as muses or martyrs, but as witnesses, warriors, and storytellers. Many of [her] paintings are inspired by old family photographs and ancestral stories, while others reimagine biblical women through a feminist lens. Figures whose existences were silenced, erased, or minimized are revisited with empathy and a desire to illuminate the complexity of their lives.”
I love the religious and mythological connotations and cross-cultural references. My favorite artwork is Revisiting Lilith. I gravitate towards accessories jewelry and artwork featuring snakes. They are intriguing. I enjoy how Jaili keeps the shapes and figures simple, seductive, and consistent. She uses day-glow and neon colors highlighting the amplified visibility and vibrance of the powerful women in her artwork.
Her artist statement tells the viewer the inspiration and driving force behind her artwork:
“I was raised in a spiritually strict environment where obedience, modesty, and fear of the outside world shaped every part of life. Questioning was discouraged. That upbringing gave me a deep sensitivity to themes of morality, judgment, and devotion – but also a longing to find meaning beyond the values I was taught. As a therapist, I believe that understanding the past is essential to understanding the present. That’s why my work also reflects on past and present collective experiences of girlhood and womanhood.
My work reclaims the sacred language I was taught to obey without question and reshapes it through care, curiosity, and embodied truth.
Color is central to my language. I use saturated reds, greens, blues, and ochres to evoke both a fever dream and sense of ceremony. My process is layered and intuitive: sometimes I begin with a sketch, but often I begin from a place of feeling – using color to communicate what words cannot.
Much of my work is about loss – of home, of safety, of history – but also about the refusal to let go of love, even when told to. It’s about women who look back, who grieve openly, who carry their people with them. It’s about survival that does not erase tenderness.
These paintings are not about perfection. They are about being seen – in all our color, complexity, and care.”
Mary is pictured below and I interpreted the painting as a social commentary on the traditional depiction of Mother Mary.
To view Jaili’s artwork and learn more about the artist visit her website and Instagram @jailiramirezart
Emily Derr
