Pictures and Poetry...
In the spring season, the Amelia Center presents Daniel Esquivia Zapata’s The Textures of Remembrance. Through Zapata’s murals, he includes historical texts, poems, and murals from his Columbian upbringing. The murals are life-sized drawings using vinyl and soft pastels. In the forefront are more literal “rememberings”, showing images of faces, hands, and bodies. In the background, are texts that give more context to the historical importance of Columbia. According to a press release from Elizabeth Humphries, “He does this through life-size figurative drawings that combine historical texts, the human body, plants, and animals to generate strong spaces that work as poetic imagery, probing the dynamics of narratives in history and historical memory.”
About the Artist
Daniel Esquivia Zapata was born in San Jacinto, in the department of Bolivar, Colombia, in 1987. At the age of two, in 1989, he and his family were displaced by a paramilitary group that dominated the region. After moving through several cities, he and his family arrived in Bogotá. Daniel studied and grew up in Bogotá.
In 2004, Daniel earned a full scholarship to study Fine Arts at Benedict College (a Historically Black University) in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. In 2008, Daniel graduated with honors and earned a merit scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in drawing at the New York Academy of Art (NYAA). He also won a Colfuturo scholarship and opened a scholarship fund to pay for his studies, which allowed him to pay for his entire studies at NYAA. In 2011, Daniel graduated cum laude from NYAA and was offered an artist residency at St. Barths and awarded the NYAA Best Work on Paper Award. Daniel has exhibited in various galleries in the USA, St. Barths, and Colombia, including Richard Demato Gallery, Mediallia Gallery, and Eden Rock Gallery.
Currently, Zapata is the Assistant Professor of Art & Art History at the University of Auburn!
Visiting Hours
- The exhibit will be displayed in the Amelia Center Gallery (AC 112) from Friday, February 28 to Friday, April 11.
- Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- Admission is free.
For more information, please contact Pavel Amromin at pamromin@gulfcoast.edu, 850-872-3886.
Malachi Miller
Student Writer - Spring 2025
