GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Dozens of people stopped and stared at Florencia Clement de Grandprey’s artwork, which hung on the 2nd floor at the DeVos Place. It’s a 100-pound acrylic on fiber piece that contains 100 hand-painted eyes.
She spared no detail, from the eye color, eyelids, and eyelashes.
“I try to represent different ethnicities, different age groups, different color eyes, everything because I want everyone to feel like they are also represented,” Florencia said.
She began working on it on back in January. Thursday she was happy to display it for ArtPrize 2022, the world’s largest art event.
@ArtPrize is baaaaaack!
— Lauren Edwards (@LaurenEdwardsTV) September 15, 2022
🎨 750 artists from around the world showcasing their work at 200 dif venues in downtown GR
🎨 500,000 ppl expected to come out thru October 2nd (that’s how many came last year)
🎨 Winners get (in total) $450,000
Stories and info ➡️ @FOX17 pic.twitter.com/mLkhDfpM2o
“This is titled In My Eyes,” she said during an interview with Fox 17 on Thursday. “It is about looking out and seeing all the beauty that surrounds us but also remember to look within.”
The artwork contains in the middle a 11-foot by 8-foot painting of a face on a rug. She said that was the part that represents introspection.
“It’s about just taking time to observe and to really take in all the beauty that surrounds us ‘cause we’re in such a hurry all the time,’” Florencia said. “We really need to just pause for a moment and observe. And the essential part is about coming back and looking within, knowing that we have all answers that we need within if we just take a moment and quiet ourselves to look.”
Florencia was among the 750 artists showcasing their work in 200 different locations in and around the downtown area.
What made it special for her was that she could display her work on the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Obviously I’m very proud to be of Hispanic heritage,” said Florencia, who’s from southern Spain. “I also am participating in other Hispanic Heritage contests or shows, I should say. For me I just feel like I’m representing and I just want to share. I love sharing artwork everywhere no matter what time of the year it is.”
Florencia said she’s a self-taught artist. She moved to the United States 18 years ago and currently resides in Florida.
She participated in ArtPrize in the 2017 and 2021. This year, winners get in total $450,000.
Florencia said it would be nice to get get the grand prize. But for her, connecting with people is award-winning enough.
“I’m happy to get any prize,” Florencia said. “But for me it’s all about sharing and spreading the message of taking the time to observe and looking within. I always try to do meaningful artwork rather than just pretty art.”
