04, Claudia Prada was struck by a lifeguard truck. The traumatic event inspired her to express herself through art.
In honor of Latino Heritage month, Prada’s art will be exhibited in Schauerman Library the month of September.
“A Spanish proverb explains that out of bad things always come good. From my accident, I was able to reflect on my pain, horror, hope, love and views on war and peace through painting,” Prada said.
Prada was born in Colombia and grew up in Guatemala and Costa Rica. She has studied abroad, is multilingual and now teaches Spanish at several colleges, including here.
She obtained her master’s of Fine Art from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is a member of the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture.
Prada describes her paintings as Latino art with an American twist.
“I am constantly looking for different themes within traveling,” she said.
“Every time I go somewhere new I observe the culture around me and it replenishes new ideas,” Prada said.
Some of her small paintings depict a human face with half the face painted in brown and the other half painted in white.
“During the colonial times, a caste system was present in South America. They labeled people based on what ethnicity they were. These paintings represent the concept of what is being Latino,” Prada said.
“Her art is relatable in the sense that the colors contrast each other and it shows that we are all different as individuals,” Lynell Alamares, 20, nursing major, said.
Much of Prada’s art is grounded in classical influences.
“Greek mythology influences my work. In the story of Zeus and Leda, Zeus masks himself as a swan and rapes Leda, thus impregnating her,” Prada said.
Some of her paintings depict the ideas of family, duality and the interpretation of the human, Prada said.
Another area of art Prada delves in is rock sculptures, which have many uses, such as necklaces or penholders.
“I wanted to create art from reusable things because there is so much waste in our world,” Prada said.
Prada has always had a fascination with rocks. She collects rocks from all over the world and uses them in her art to add personality, she said.
She adds that she can’t believe she is doing what she has always wanted to do
“We all have dreams but we don’t act on them,” Prada said. “This accident brought my dream alive.”