Miami-raised and Dominican Republic-born illustrator Fanesha Fabre finishes out a successful year with news of her first solo art show with the Bronx Brand, a brand and gallery that celebrates the borough’s creatives.
The event will feature her illustrations including the introduction of senior female superhero Fuácata, a Spanish expression made in reaction to someone who’s been struck in the head, whether accidentally or intentionally. In Fabre’s illustration, Fuácata fights off neighborhood gentrifiers with an expertly-flung chancleta aka slipper.
Reflecting on Fuácata on Instagram, Fabre wrote, “If you ever heard tales of the disciplinary actions grandparents taken against our parents for misbehaving than you know the power and pain behind a well placed “Fuácata” in a story gathering of siblings and cousins.
“I know this sounds cliche but our ancestors and our grand parents and our parents fight and fought every day to give us the best life they could, and to us they’re our super hero’s. So here’s a contribution to the fight against the developers who see nothing but a cash in, because sadly ethics’s and logistics will always clash as long as money is involved. And although some may not agree, there is no such thing as a ‘social justice warrior’ who lives in or supports a gentrified neighborhood.
“So when developers put money in pockets of native entrepreneurs and events get thrown for Out-Of-Towners, just know there’s another Bill Finger and Stan Lee Struggling in his/her own city right now creating a new universe.”
With roots in music production, Fabre made the decision in 2017 to change paths and pursue a full time career as an artist. She quickly found herself embraced and encouraged by a much wider community than that of the male-dominated, cut-throat world of music.
Fabre’s burgeoning body of color-infused illustrations are themed on celebrating the Newyorkina experience as highlighted by a Latina-flavored version of the Mona Lisa called La Ramona Lisa, a yerrr periodic chart element, a constellation of bodega snacks and Bob Ross the painter reimagined as a graffiti artist.
Fabre has a store on etsy.com/faneshafabreart where she sells prints as well as t-shirts, mugs and pins featuring her illustrations. Her show with the The Bronx Brand takes place at 31 Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx on November 23, 2019 from 12:00-8:00 EST.
