Biography

Alex Duarte is a thoroughbred New Yorker. This phrase could mean more than one thing, and she is all of them. She grew up in Harlem for the most part but has spent some time in communities in SoHo and uptown Manhattan. Every borough has its own story and Alex is a part of them all while belonging to none of them. She has Latin American roots and grew in Latino and African-American communities. Her artwork has flavors of it all but is still unique to Alex. It is quixotic and loud, and proudly so. Her artistic style speaks for itself. It will have you engaged and hypnotized.

Her influences are varied, beginning at street art and never ending. Artwork could be on canvas, paper or even walls- mediums ranging from pastels, pencils, oil and charcoal. She has lived amongst it all. It could be Abstract art or Realism, Expressionism or Illusionism; Alex’s culture is an amalgamation of more than one thing just like her work.

Alex trained in the arts only informally while growing up. The dark tones of the city got the better of her with more than one traumatic experience. Just like the energy of the city, she did not give up. . She lost her voice and took to visual art.

Her art is beyond categories; it’s from the studio, from the streets and from the museum. It is from the lived experience of a woman who has taken her harsh lived experiences and transmuted them into beautiful expressions. Alex is NYC personified.

Alex Duarte born October 2, 1975, in Harlem New York, grew up reading and painting through her youth. Alex continued to refine her technique throughout the next several decades. Her highly detailed paintings are known for their vibrant, figurative imagery – combining traditional painting techniques with contemporary design and illustrative styles, layer upon layer, the application of immaculate detail and technical dexterity. Duarte’s work presents a world where everything is adorned and alive.

At the age of 21, Duarte began to lose her eyesight. As the way she could see the world changed, her work brightened, using a mixture of materials, including neon and black lite acrylic, birthstones, gold leaf, glass, and fairy dust she beautifies her world. Materials that capture and radiate light make creating easier for Duarte and contribute to the uniqueness of her work, art that lights the dark.