Today we’d like to introduce you to Dimelza Broche.
Dimelza, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born and raised in Cuba, I lived there until I was almost 17 years old. Growing up I suffered painful breaks due to a genetic illness called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Because of this, I was homeschooled until I was in middle school. While all of the neighborhood kids were in a school I had to entertain myself at home and a good way was using my imagination and drawing. Also, I had to be extremely careful being around kids because if one of them tripped and fell on me by accident I could have another break. When I was 15, I went to an academy of art. My brother, Chedly, initially wanted to study art and was preparing to audition there but never did because he decided instead to study computer science. I continue studying art when I came to the United States and got a Bachelor’s degree in Painting and Drawing. I am currently a third-year graduate student at the Lamar Dodd School of Arts at UGA.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
With my work, I examine the relationship between the disabled body and the standards for beauty and normalcy. My sculptural installations titled, “The Problem Body,” open the much-needed dialogue about this issue, inviting the viewer to take an extended look at what differs from the norm. By casting parts of my body in plaster, I present the viewers with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the disabled figure, challenging them to reconsider not just beauty standards but what is normal in a society which places value on physical appearance. This allows the viewer to look at the disabled body without feeling the need to censure themselves on behalf of interpersonal courtesy. The body parts are wrapped in a handmade woven fabric functioning as a protective shell as well as an aesthetic allusion to an orthopedic cast. Each sculpture signifies the beauty and worth of the problem body, but above all, it brings visibility to a figure usually deemed unattractive. The problem body, once labeled so, becomes a barrier for the disabled which I attempt to breach using my own body and story.
I also create oil paintings where I replicate the strange and luscious worlds inside my head. Worlds that are inhabited by body parts which somehow function as anatomical votives. The body parts and sometimes animals are a direct representation of my broken body. These paintings influence the sculptural work I am creating since they are the places I escape to inside my head. Places that I go to in order to heal myself.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Financing big projects, or any project really, and trying to get proper representation with galleries. Many artists need a day job to support their night job which is making art. It is extremely difficult to create art when the materials you need are expensive and your vision extends beyond that. In my case, as a disabled artist, there is a lot of things that I wish I could do for my work but I cannot physically create myself. I would have to ask for too many favors and pay to get stuff done. But for now, what I am making is getting the message across and I am hoping it will make a difference for those of us that are different and/or ill.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have a public Facebook page as well as an Instagram account where I share progress pictures and videos of what is happening in my studio. I recently opened a Patreon account to receive some financial support in order to finance my long-term project about the “Problem Body” and also my paintings, which sometimes function as 2D sketches for the sculptures. Of course, in Patreon I will show my appreciation by sending original small, paintings, drawings, and embroideries as a gift to those who have shown their support. In September, I will also be participating in a group show at the Lamar Dodd together with 4 other amazingly talented grad students.
https://www.patreon.com/dimelzabroche
https://www.instagram.com/dimelzabroche/
https://www.facebook.com/dimelza.broche/
Contact Info:
- Website: http://dimelzabroche.wixsite.com/fineart
- Email: dimelzabroche@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dimelzabroche/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dimelza.broche
- Other: https://www.patreon.com/dimelzabroche
Image Credit:
Jennifer Niswonger-Morris took my photograph.
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