Lira Luis exhibiting at a.DOT

Introducing Lira Luis, No.18 of 52 Artists exhibiting at a.DOT | Chicago Artists Resource

Chicago Women in Architecture
is pleased to announce

Lira Luis

No.18 of 52 Artists participating in this years

a.DOT exhibition!

To get to know each of the 52 Artists better the CWA asked each of the participants a series of questions, the following are Lira's Responses...


CWA: How does architecture drive/inspire your artwork?

LL: I relate art in any form, to the statement “The mother art is architecture” by Frank Lloyd Wright. I see architecture as a celebration of space and the movement of people in it. In order to define this space, there needs to be light.

I’ve always been fascinated by light and how it hits surfaces, objects, and people. Every light is different just as the light in Manila is different from the light in Chicago. As an architect, my sensitivity to light is instinctually heightened, inspiring my work in portraiture and figure drawings. It is the contrast between light and dark that creates a sense of presence.

In the same way, every person is different. Each has certain light and dark contrasts in his/her personality that I try to capture as my pencil hits the paper. As an artist, this is what my art wants to represent--a balance of that dichotomy expressed in every line, stroke, or smudge.


CWA: What parts of your training and experience do you apply to your artwork?

LL: Architecture has trained my eyes to look at things, spaces, or buildings differently. At varying times of the day, a building will look different even if you’re viewing it from the same spot. This is why buildings need to be experienced in order to understand it.

In drawing people, I view them with the same set of eyes as the way I view buildings. Portraiture and Figure Drawings are a celebration of people.

People reveal changing moods that define their personalities at any given day. To capture distinct personalities and make those come alive on paper, I realized that I needed to experience the person in order to be able to draw him/her. This is also the reason why most of my subjects are limited to those with whom I have perceived connections.


"architects. Doing Other Things", organized by Chicago Women in Architecture is part of Chicago Artists Month 2011, the sixteenth annual celebration of Chicago's vibrant visual art community presented by the Chicago Department of Tourism and Culture. For more information, visit www.chicagoartistsmonth.org.