Without a doubt, it is clear that "Las Meninas de Velázquez" has been Odilia Iaccarino’s muse and artistic focus for the last few years. Through her experience visiting the beautiful city of Madrid, Spain, she could discuss Las Meninas and its context for hours. One particular moment stands out: as she stood before the canvas, she felt an overwhelming sense of connection to the artist and the world he inhabited, which sparked a deep desire to capture that essence in her own art.

On a trip to Madrid, Odilia was captivated by the enormous life-size Menina sculptures that adorned the city and by the importance of their contribution to Spanish culture. In 17th-century Spain, the Meninas were noble-born girls sent to the palace to serve the queen or her daughters. The most famous Meninas are depicted in Diego Velázquez's artwork "Las Meninas," which is named after them, and these maids of honor have become iconic figures in Madrid.

In her journey to achieve a version of Las Meninas, Odilia created a silhouette of the modern Menina figure and added colorful paint and textures to the canvas; this process evoked emotions reminiscent of her day spent wandering the streets of Madrid. For her, the challenge lies in exploring a balance of elements on the canvas, using primarily oil, pastels, acrylics, and graphite. The suggestive form also incorporates organic elements, which bring a tridimensional depth to her work.

Odilia Iaccarino’s vision for the Meninas series is to inspire young people to grow and expand beyond their current mindsets.

Odilia Iaccarino was born in a small town in Mexico where she enjoyed her childhood in her family's ranch. Odilia is a self-taught artist who holds national and international awards, most recently from the Brownsville Museum of Fine Art and recognition from the CFA Circle Foundation of the Arts, Lyon, France. Her work consists of implementing figures of the menina-meaning “girl”- into the canvas by pinning the menina silhouette as the main character to then narrate anecdotes and memories through the painting.

In her most recent work, Iaccarino also uses her raw material to highlight the combination of oil, pastels, acrylics and graphite, bringing together a color palette with various and diverse shades. For Odilia, an ordinary day begins with new ideas, studies and imagination that lead her to work on sketches. Otherwise, you will find her walking her two adorable pets, little Miku and Kora the Akita, through the park.

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