Opening Reception: Thursday, February 2, 2023 , from 6–9pm | Free & Open to the public

The Glorious Way She Moves explores the fullness and depth of the female form from youthful innocence to glorious maturity. As a multi-racial and cultural artist, I strive to address inaccurate, misplaced labels put upon cultures, race and the feminine gender. These interpretive portraits illustrate the exuberance and individuality of each muse I celebrate and emphasize the remarkable features and characteristics of women in every phase of womanhood. Through their poise and spirit, they pay homage to both legacy and generations that came before them. Viewed together, these portraits endue a sense of women united in equality that transcends the societal constraints placed upon us. Symbolically, these portraits exemplify the self-esteem women exude as they move through their lives and the world. 

The large scale format brings the women I portray into a magnified view that recognizes their magnificence as multi-faceted human beings. In my process, I video record each woman dancing, then jump to the film’s individual frames, using them to help me expose and capture my subjects’ unique character and individuality. During their dance, I specifically look for physical and expressive nuances my subjects demonstrate, and intuitively investigate these individual signature movements through experimental drawing, painting and layering to reveal each subjects' aesthetic. By doing this I experience a connection to their beauty without stereotyping. It is that connection I share in my work. 

BIO
Barbara Felix is a San Antonio native and contemporary figurative artist. She received her BFA in Graphic Communication at Texas State University in 1991, where her TSU coursework fired her love of the human figure and inspired her long pursuit to work as an artist. Felix began taking community classes at the Southwest School of Art, San Antonio in 2006. After receiving a Best of Show award in 2007 at the All-Student exhibition, she began a more dedicated pursuit of art, receiving a Certificate in Drawing, Painting and Printmaking in 2013.

Felix’ ongoing series of works include: Bailando con Mi Misma (Dancing with My Self), which explores relationships, gender, her bi-racial identity, body language and sensuality in mixed media monotype prints; The Color of Women, examine body language and female connections in mixed media collage portraits that incorporate audio from her subjects; The Glorious Way She Moves, Felix captures multiple nuances of movement in women through multi-layered large-scale portraits, also with accompanying audio narratives. Felix’ works are in public and private collections. She received a 1st place award at the Round Rock Arts [Re]Imagine Exhibition in 2019 for her portrait of Thelma and Barbara. She is self-taught in animation, video and audio editing. Her animation and performance videos have been screened in festivals and exhibitions across the United States and internationally.

Felix is actively engaged in her community, as an executive board member of Contemporary Art Month (CAM); member of the San Antonio Ethnic Art Society (SAEAS), and Gentileschi Aegis Gallery Association (GAGA). She has curated exhibitions for the Bijou Cinema Theater (2017-2019), Slab Cinema Arthouse (2022), and the City of San Antonio Department of Art & Culture (2022/2023). She retired from corporate graphic design in 2022 to pursue her artistic passions full time.