Soraida Martinez in the Verdadism Art Gallery with her painting, The Global Sexism of Gaslighting Women

Soraida Martinez Verdadism Painting: The Global Sexism of Gaslighting Women, Created 2022, Acrylics on Canvas, 48” by 36”

This painting is being featured for Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day at the Verdadism Art Gallery exhibition through August 31, 2023.

LINDENWOLD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, March 27, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Soraida Martinez has been documenting her life experiences with paintings and commentaries for 31 years. She has accomplished many exhibitions and art talks at universities and institutions, and many of her painting are being used in academia to teach tolerance. Excerpts from the artist's 1999 art book will be included in a new upcoming academic art book on 20th and 21st century Latin American art, published by the University of North Carolina Press.

Soraida's Commentary:
"The one thing all cultures have in common is sexism. Women all over the world are oppressed. The only way women can make change is by helping each other. The celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day is just a start, by acknowledging women and their achievements. However, we must do more than that, by opening up doors to the many women that have gone unrecognized for their true contributions to the world. In other words, we are giving young women false hope when there is so little or no opportunities. So, put it to action girls!"

Excerpts from Soraida’s 1999 Verdadism Art Book:
"The art of Verdadism is based on my personal life experiences and my observations on humanity. Through my paintings and social commentaries, I tell the stories of my struggles... including some of my experiences with racism, sexism, and stereotyping. As a woman, I am always striving to make a difference and be heard. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had this intense desire to communicate with the world through my art. My Verdadism is a direct response to the society I live in, which never expected much of me. My hope is that, through my Verdadism art, I can make social change.

It is very important that from the very beginning that I make this crucial point: my paintings are about a universal human experience. The book I wrote in 1999 is “Soraida’s Verdadism: The Intellectual Voice of a Puerto Rican Woman on Canvas; Unique, Controversial Images and Style.” This book could have just as easily been entitled “The Voice of an Irish or Italian or Jewish Woman.” Many individuals of different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds (both male and female) have told me that they too can relate to the issues that I paint and write about. My Verdadism art is a collection of paintings with social commentaries and the goal is to promote a deeper understanding of the human soul and tolerance.

When I first started my Verdadism art style in 1992, the issues in this book were not openly dealt with. Racism went underground and most people acted as if it did not even exist. Many art establishments even suggested that I leave the social statements out because they thought their viewers did not want to hear about these motifs. I also believe that, due to my subject matter, I was excluded from exhibitions; some institutions even insinuated that my art was risqué. It was the colleges, universities, and other education-oriented organizations that were drawn towards exhibiting my Verdadism paintings.

I paint from the perspective of the life experiences of a 1st-generation New York-born woman of Puerto Rican heritage. My passion for art comes from wanting to speak the truth. Through my Verdadism paintings, I want to be honest with myself, as well as the viewer. It is important that you (the viewer) observe the date that each painting and its accompanying commentary were finished because, in the same way that someone takes a photo of a moment in time, each painting and its accompanying commentary is a snapshot of my thoughts and observations at a particular point in my life.

Since I am documenting my thoughts on personal life experiences and universal human situations, there are still many paintings that I have not yet rendered. I wish to continue doing this throughout my whole life and, in the future, it will be very interesting for me to read some of my own commentaries and find that they no longer are a social problem or that they have already been resolved. As I write this book, some of the issues that I painted about in 1992 are just being addressed.

Through Verdadism, I want to open your mind to new ideas and concepts as well as encourage you to think for yourself. Most people let others think for them and that is why stereotyping exists. It is much easier to think in broad strokes than in fine detail. Through Verdadism, I also want to add a voice that has not been previously heard – in a society that routinely puts people like me into little boxes and literally files them away. This Verdadism art evolved from the point-of-view of a woman born into an environment and situation in Harlem, New York City, where I could have easily taken a different approach to life. Instead, I chose to turn my life into a positive, caring existence by taking the negativity out of my life and overcoming the many obstacles that were placed before me. Now, I am a painter, a designer, and a business owner. The point that I would like to stress is this...if you put your mind to achieving your goals, you too can achieve whatever you want to accomplish.

Today, I am happy to see that many educators are using my Verdadism art and philosophy to educate students about racism, diversity, and other issues pertaining to humanity. Some of the paintings in this book can also be used to help individuals explore their self-identity. It is my wish that you can enjoy this book, while gaining insight into my thoughts and vision. And I hope that this book can help people everywhere realize that we all share a common human experience in this planet we call earth. As we go into the twenty-first century, I look forward to seeing a more caring, self-actualized society where everyone is treated as an individual and not lumped into groups or labels."

Verdadism Art Gallery
Artist, Soraida
verdadism@aol.com
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