On February 11, 2024, San Francisco Bay Area fine artists Hadi Aghaee, Viviana Leiga-Sysak, Carolyn Li and Angelo Lopez had a talk on their artistic inspirations, what they want their art to communicate, and the best ways to exhibit and market their art.
At a young age, Hadi Aghaee discovered his passion for art, but life took him on a different path, and he temporarily set aside his artistic pursuits for nearly three and a half decades. However, in mid-2014, he made the decision to reignite that creative spark and pick up where he had left off.
As Hadi dedicated himself to art, his artistic skills rapidly developed, and his works took on a more profound and thought-provoking nature. Within this relatively short period since his return, he has actively participated in group exhibitions and competitions locally, regionally and nationally, receiving multiple awards for his creations. Notably, his art has been displayed in group exhibitions at renowned venues such as the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Haggin Museum in Stockton, the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, as well as various Art centers in Northern California. He was honored to hold a 10 weeks solo exhibition at the Triton Museum in 2023.
Through his artistic journey, Hadi has experienced both personal growth and recognition within the art community. Hadi Aghaee is excited to continue exploring new horizons, pushing the boundaries of his creativity, and sharing his artwork with a wider audience.
Viviana Leija-Sysak is a visual artist, art educator and video producer working in the Bay Area. She holds a Masters in Fine Arts from the University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB). Viviana has experimented with many materials and techniques, creating a vast body of work in traditional and digital strategies. Her recent artwork emphasizes her passion for drawing, using a mixed-media approach based mostly on watercolors, pastels and graphite.
She has also served as an art educator teaching traditional art and digital strategies, video production, animation and art experimentation to a variety of schools and organizations.
Carolyn Li is a fine artist residing in Sunnyvale, CA. (b. 1994) Inspired by nature, she primarily paint landscapes as introspective narratives and commentary on the human experience, and she also addresses environmental concerns. Carolyn gravitates toward painting wild, dramatic landscapes plein air and have painted many of our beloved California state parks and US national parks.
Carolyn’s artwork is about beauty and light and the metaphors they embody. She uses the transparency of watercolor to allow bright white paper to shine through washes and apply layering techniques to create depth and texture. Drawing from her Asian heritage, Carolyn uses sumi brushes to create lucid and calming watercolor paintings, expressing her spiritual and emotional responses to the surrounding world. She aims to inspire connection to beauty in the natural world and create artwork that conveys beauty, truth, and hope.
Carolyn Li received her BA in Studio Art and Illustration from Seattle Pacific University. Her artwork has been profiled in several publications and exhibited in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Angelo Lopez’s art was deeply inspired by his love of comics and his love of children’s book illustrations. As a child, Angelo loved watching the Marx Brothers, Abbott and Costello, Willliam Powell and Myrna Loy, Charlie Chaplin and all the old comedians and comic actors and actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood. He likes to laugh, whether something is funny or not, and he channels this into his art.
Angelo graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Illustration. Since he graduated, he has created murals and utility box art in the South San Francisco Bay Area. He has exhibited his work in Gallery Saratoga, the Sunnyvale Art Gallery and Chopsticks Alley Art Gallery. His paintings are also seen in coffee shops, libraries, and assorted odd places.
Hadi Aghaee
http://hadiaghaeefineart.com/
facebook.com/hadiaghaeefineart
Viviana Leija-Sysak
https://www.themoondream.com/
Instagram: @vivi_leijasysak_art
Carolyn Li
https://carolynartwork.com
Instagram: @carolynartwork
Angelo Lopez
https://angelolopezart.weebly.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AngeloLopezIllustration/
ANGELO LOPEZ BLOG 