Vanessa Murray is a multidisciplinary artist based in Southern California working in digital illustration, print media, painting, and installation. Finding inspiration through 70s psychedelic, Chicane/Indigenous, & Polynesian designs, her artwork cross-examines historical stylistics with contemporary pattern-making and typography to create unique artworks that combine past wisdom with present context. Vanessa’s work exercises experiential learning, curiosity and creative intuition by exploring foundational ideas of color theory, cultural design, visual symbolism, and repetitious patterning to develop a deeper understanding of our inherent drive to create and how it is an impactful tool for human expression.

“Art is a reflection on our social-emotional need to create. Personally, art is my mode of meditation, it helps ground me and can often times reveal what we are experiencing in that current moment. Drawing complex spirals and patterns helps me process my emotions and conveys a personal story. Creativity is an key component to our humanity and well-being. Art is deeply rooted in who we are, what we experience, and the stories we share with others. I create these vibrant designs to connect with my intuition and advocate for more creative vibrance in a world that seems to dull our sparkle” — Vanessa

Currently, I am working on building a non-profit arts organization that brings arts workshops and engagements to local parks and third spaces within the Inland Empire region. My goal is to help make the arts more accessible and create places of connection for my wider community. As we see the negative affects with the absence of these communal spaces, it is vital to build programs and places where we foster community, collective action, and creativity. As a person who has worked in education, recreation, and the arts for 10+ years, I have seen the beautiful impact creative programming can do for people’s lives and well-being. My hope in creating this non-profit organization is to empower my community through the cultural experience of art. By seeking to build stronger community bonds, I truly believe we can make a positive impact, one artwork at a time!