Esther Maria Pagan is a Latin American Artist.
She was born in Youngstown, Ohio. Her parents were both of a Puerto Rican background. She was raised in the South, West and North Bronx. Her roots are deep and full of beauty.
As a inspirational local bronx artist Esther Maria Pagan found that integrating herself in the world of Art was a given.
In her early career, Esther Maria Pagan studied Hair Design at the Robert Fiance Makeup Academy. She was a stylist and Photographer which helped to put her through school.
She contiued her artistic journey working at F.I.T. and Parson’s studying Fashion Design, Communications, Millinery Design and Fine Arts. Esther has worked in the Garment Industry with many of Fashion’s Greats, like: Liz Claiborne, Badgeley Mischka and Escada.
Versitile in many areas she longed to work a more soulful type artwork, so she studied massage therapy at the Swedish Institute College of Health Sciences. She became a NYC licensed massage therapist.
Enamored with her new platform she worked closely with doctors and became obsessed with the phenomenon called, “The Human Body.”
She has dedicated herself to learning as much as she could about different forms and technics in order to make her craft perfect, by doing so she gained knowledge and learned how to guide her clients to better understand their pain and conditions. She also worked scheduling radiology appointments for patients in a CT. hospital which by chance led her to take notice that over 50% of the calls she handled where Cancer related. This inspired Esther Maria to design “Avant Garde Hats” , photographing them with nude models.
She looked to design and create a hat Calendar. The intent is to sell and allow part of the proceeds to help individuals with Cancer.
Her hat designs vary in many mediums. The calendars demonstrate her designed hats in photographs featuring nude models, each hat and model are carefully selected.
Esther Maria was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on September 17th, 2012. She under went a double mastectomy on October 17th, 2012. She has undergone 6 surgeries and will undergo her last one this April 2014, making her journey will be complete.
She looked to making this time a positive one, so she started writting her experience from the time she was diagnosed. Her blog: mycolorsofcancer.com takes a deep and personal look into the passages and the battle with cancer. She feels that she has a grand responsibility and her purpose is to educate and reach out to those with Cancer, specifically Breast Cancer.
Her inspiration takes her to create one of kind pieces. She has aspirations of getting published and becoming an inspirational speaker. Esther has found healing through art by placing the beauty of her surroundings thus creating a voice through her craft.
Her biggest influences have been her Puerto Rican roots and her family. Her struggles have made her and a strong, beautiful and humble human being.
She loves abstract artists like Picasso, Dali, Kahlo, Matisse, Basquiat just to name a few of her favorite. She finds their work magical because they were artists whom thought out side of the box and their works were an example of such.
The women in her family also have had a huge influence on Esther Maria’s upbringing.
Her mother was a floral designer. Her maternal grandmother was a Floor Manager at a Button Factory in the garment district. Her paternal grandmother was a genius with the knitting needles, making beautiful pieces of art. Her “Titi” (aunt) Lola was a sample maker for Ann Klein. Yes these strong beautiful women were the ones that influenced her beginnings.
As she states: “Go to the large corporations and look on the sidelines and see who are the true artists.” Yes, those are the women of her family. “My hands are my livelihood.” “The women in my family have influenced and made my hands her heart and soul tick since age 5.”
Esther Maria Pagan considers her work to be one of a kind, hand made, unique, abstract, couture and eccentric.
“I have been sewing since the age of 5. My mother was a floral designer on Bleecker Street and my maternal grandmother was the manager at a button factory in the garment industry. My fraternal grandmother was an expert crochet knitter. My mother would hand me a needle and thread with all the accessories needed to make dresses for my Barbie dolls. I attribute my talents and inspiration to my culture. My mother always dressed with style and etiquette, she never forgot her matching shoes, gloves, hat and cloche. This has been embedded in my head since I was a child. I love the glamour and beauty that go along with fashion. As an artist, I have always given back to my community, hence, “Artisan 4 A Cause.” As a body worker I find our community needs help with all medical conditions that affect our society. My goal is to give back to individuals with debilitating diseases.”
Esther Maria Pagan: “My definition of art is to think out side of the box.”
Working with any form or medium. Creating with the human body, the human mind, the soul and spirit, allowing the flow of the color to spring out of her hands to form a creative process. One that is in tune with self and the rest the Universe. Using life as her Muse and creating Art with conviction and raw passion.That is Esther Maria Pagan’s definition of art!.
To know more about this artist and her craft you can contact Esther Maria Pagan with any questions or comments at: atesty427@yahoo.com
or visit her web blog at: http://www.mycolorsofcancer.com
In one sentence, Esther Maria Pagan describes herself: “I am a Butterfly Mermaid with Wings of Fire”.
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Your website link.
http://www.mycolorsofcancer.com
REDSIRENS 