“Pastel en la Alhambra”
Aixa Torregrosa-Vazquez
South Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: I wish I didn’t have a story about cancer. But we cannot choose what happens to us. It was heartbreaking and hard to get the diagnosis. Even harder was to go through treatment. I could not have gone through all that without the love and support of my family. They surrounded me with love and strength.
Now, I am working on putting all that I went through way, way in the distant past. However, there are a few things I want to keep and cherish. Those are the friendships I’ve made, all the courageous people that I’ve met that are dealing or have dealt with a cancer diagnosis; generous people that have opened their hearts to support others; those that have become friends and an integral part of my life now. Through Brushes With Cancer, I’ve also met individuals that I hope to keep in my life. All this brings me joy and that is paramount to me. My Twist on Cancer is to look for and do what brings joy. To keep wrapping myself in the love and support of my family and friends. To share moments and opportunities for joy — for everyone has a right to have joy. That is richness. The best we can have, the best we can take with us. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
Laurel Rose Eng
Philadelphia, PA
www.laurelrose-art.com
@laurelro
“Pastel en la Alhambra”
Acrylic on stretched canvas
18” x 24” .75”
$700
Artist Statement: From my first conversation with Aixa, there was a certain joy and lightness that I continued to feel when getting to know her. Aixa has been an inspiration for me far beyond how I could have expected, both creatively and personally.
My work is rooted in color, emotion, and the unseen (and unspoken) connections between people and their experiences. Aixa discussed her breast cancer diagnosis and the many ways it affected her body, mind, and energy — but it felt like we kept coming back to one central theme: the maintenance of positivity.
Aixa spends as much time as she can enveloped in nature, is dedicated to her family, and loves to travel. Her diagnosis came during the isolation of the pandemic. Cancer didn’t change her outlook, but perhaps only magnified her prioritizing what makes her feel good and at peace. Bone pain, the inability to stay warm, and a sepsis scare couldn’t take away the resilience and brilliant spirit within her.
Aixa’s palette and colors she is drawn to (pale blues, lavender, aqua, orange, green) became the backdrop of this piece, and as she and I continued to connect, the story of the piece, her story as she told it, slowly unfolded. I was patient with this painting and wanted to see where the color composition took me.
This work is a celebration of survival, but also of the tenderness and optimism that can emerge from hardship. Through abstraction, I hope to invite viewers to connect with their own emotions and to feel the balance of strength and serenity that inspired this piece.