Edelweiss Cardenas October 2009

Edelweiss Cardenas is a Marwen alumna and artist living in Chicago. She took some time to share with me details about her background, inspirations, and memories of Marwen.

Thoughts on growing up in Chicago and Mexico…

I am a Chicago based artist and Marwen alum.  Born in Colima, Mexico, I was raised primarily in Chicago while going back to Mexico continuously throughout my life.  In a sense, I now see how considering these two places so strongly a home has influenced my work and interest in art. 

On becoming an artist…

While taking a photography class in sophomore year in high school, my teacher encouraged me to attend classes at Marwen.  From the first oil painting class I took at Marwen, I knew I had found a great place.  Marwen was a very nurturing and instructive environment full of other students who were just as enthusiastic about the place.  After Marwen I attended Pratt Institute for a year, followed by Harold Washington College, and concluding my education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.  Having have taken more time at different schools helped ground me in my decision to pursue art as a career.

Current inspirations…

At the moment, one of my favorite artists is Laylah Ali.  I love the uniqueness of her figures and the strange situations she places them in.  Her color choices are very attractive as well and create such a quiet impact.  Being as the colors are very soft at times, it’s curious to see how she implements them in darker themes.  I also very much admire her work ethic and the amount of constant research she does for her work.

Memories of Marwen…

A strong memory I have from Marwen is the New York Artward Bound trip. It was an amazing experience that opened me up to a much larger world.  I attribute my moving to New York after Marwen to this positive experience.  Through trips to galleries, museums, schools, and everything in between, we really got to experience the best aspects of the city.

For more about Edelweiss, check out her website.