by June Rhee

ADA: Tell me about your art.

Tonya Engel: My art is not necessarily what some people would call "beautiful"; I think it's beautiful because it's a part of me. But some people think it's morbid, I think because it shows the two sides of beauty. The part that's bright and colorful draws you in, but when you look deeper past the surface, you find

"Bound"

thought provoking things that create dialogue and mystery. It pulls you in and makes you think about the other side of beauty. For example, "Bound" shows a strong woman who's growing with roots that also entangle her arms and legs; I call it bound because it binds her to the earth and portrays her natural growth as a human and as a woman. Sprouting from each root is a different part of her natural growth: childbirth; bringing another life into this world; growth, with the cocoon representing her personal growth as an individual. If you look closer, it also looks like she's fighting against growth, as some people do; sometimes there are different situations in life that make one deny what's happening, when one should embrace it.

ADA: How do your background and education influence your art? I understand you have no formal art education.

TE: That's right. I was born and raised in southwest Houston and took art classes in high school. My mother and father always supported my growing interest in art and spent boundless amounts of money on materials, which enabled me to grow in that area. I had a few mentors, such as a local, actually world-renowned African American artist named Burford Evans; he's an incredible representational artist. He's based in Houston and taught me color theory and texture and was just a great influence. Other than that, I have no formal training.

ADA: How much of a part does your culture and race play in your art?

TE: It's definitely a big part because that's who I am. The images I portray are part of my soul and who I am. The stories I illustrate could be from my personal life or from people who have influenced those images. I'm constantly growing as an individual and artist. I think that everyday I learn more about myself and the people of my culture. My art is about gaining personal experience and growth; as an African American, I think it's important as individuals and as a community that we grow and soak in our environment and actively take part in tha growth. My art is way of sharing part of myself and my experience with growth, and I strive to reflect that through involving people in my art, finding out how they feel when they see my art, explaining what is in my soul and heart, observing how they relate to me and vice versa. And if I have the opportunity, I can get feedback and share part of myself.

ADA: Do you consider yourself strictly an African American artist?

TE: Well, I am an African American woman; our culture has a wide array of identities and personalities. To say that I am only an African American artist would limit myself. I want to be limitless. I don't want to put myself in a corner or attach any labels to my art. I'm just an artist. If I'm in a gallery, it's great to know where the artist is coming from and all that, but I don't think that's the most important point. I think the point is that this is an incredible piece of work because of the artist's identity, not their race. Maybe one person can relate to it because of their race, which is fine, but another person could because of the textures. I don't want to alienate anyone.

ADA: Do you feel that there is there a community in Austin for you as younger, emerging African American artist?

TE: I do. I feel like there's a growing community that accepts us and is open to learning about what we have to share in our art. There are so many different art forms, like theater and music, in the big melting pot of culture, and we all influence each other. I feel that Austin is open to this awakening of cultural input and backgrounds, to new things.

ADA: How do you feel about the arts community here as opposed to the arts community in Miami?

TE: Well, I just came back from Miami where I lived for a few years. I got to know the art scene and saw lots of Cuban art. People there are pretty open to art, but I feel they were less accepting and understanding of thought provoking art; it's a little more superficial. They'd rather see things that make them smile rather than think. I think that in Austin, the reason why people here are open-minded about how they view and take in visual art has a lot to do with being so close to Mexico and how it's influenced our culture as Texans. I think that's why artists such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera have made such a significant impact.

ADA: Are you selling or showing your art soon?

TE: On November 24th at the Soulful Christmas Bazaar; ProArts Collective is collaborating for that. Check the Chronicle for location. I'm also putting in a proposal for the Carver Museum, which is a series of paintings I'm working on now. It's a series of stories of our ancestors that originated in the West Indies and South Africa and have been brought down for generations. I might publish them in a book later, but for now I want to invite storytellers to act out these stories with paintings. I think that we need to share these stories through the next generation. As African Americans, we forget our heritage sometimes and how our people struggled. As time goes on, like rumors, these stories change. Time sculpts those stories. People retell these stories in ways that people can relate to nowadays. A lot of these were written in Africa but retold by slaves; they tell of strength in numbers. During Christmas I want to show my artwork in restaurants and share with everyone, not just those who visit galleries.

[Visit www.tonyaengel.bigstep.com for more information.]