Creating art is a spiritual journey that allows to me escape, express, and connect with others. It's a therapeutic and fulfilling experience
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
My favourite art to create is repujado contemporáneo, which combines metal embossing with mixed media on panel. I transform aluminum and copper into living surfaces, as metal remembers every mark. As a queer Mexican artist and instructor on a healing path, pressing form into metal is a way to reclaim space. I incorporate patinas, pigments, and found objects, honouring animals as teachers. Supporting my sustainable art form created awareness, as art that rises taught me to rise too. Thank you!
Where do you find inspiration?My inspiration comes mostly from nature. I call them my spirit animals. The connection with the divine and the holistic universe is all my inspiration. Life in general, the interconnectedness of everything, and the beauty of magic being real drives me. I’m moved by unseen threads that bind us. When I listen to the wind, the earth, the animals, I remember we are never separate. That’s where my art begins.
What would you do with $25,000?I believe $25,000 lets us build something lasting together. We’ll create a safer, sustainable studio for repujado contemporáneo using reclaimed metal. We’ll launch free community classes for queer artists and youth on healing paths, rooted in Mexican heritage. Together we’ll honor spirit animals, document techniques, and make art that teaches resilience. This funds relationships, interconnectedness, and art that rises by lifting others too.
Vote for Fernando Diaz De Leon Rendon to become The People's Artist while supporting a great cause! Cast your free daily vote or make an even bigger impact when you vote by donation, supporting The Art of Elysium in their mission to use art as a catalyst to help people triumph over difficult life challenges.
Colossal is a nationally registered professional fundraiser that inspires people to advocate for themselves and those in need. Through online competitions like The People's Artist, Colossal offers participants the opportunity to make their mark while also making a big impact.
