Written by Javier Jauregui

Piper Adonya Fields’ Queens will be on display with Eve, the final part of her mixed media portrait series. Fields’ Queen Collection and Eve, are mixed media paintings that celebrate diversity and cultural identity. I spoke with Fields about her painting Eve, and after viewing the work, I couldn’t help but ask myself, “Who is Eve?” What does Fields want her audience to understand from her piece?

It is her hope that people will be able to view not only themselves in Eve, but realize that we are united by what we share – not to be divided by the differences that make us unique. Issues of race and beauty dominate the piece. Eve has one brown eye and one blue eye, she has freckles and a fro. She has bronze skin and fair skin, a traditional Indian nose ring and a Grecian headdress. Our features are unique, deserving of celebration and praise. Despite our different appearances, drastically distinct at times, we are tied together due to our vibrant and gorgeous nature. A nature that shares one common beginning. Eve.

Eve is an intimate experience for Fields, and a welcomed one. In years past, she has felt the pressure to create something grandiose for ArtPrize, to attract the eyes of the public with a spectacular of some kind. This year, she feels a different kind of pressure, the need to create something that resonates with her multicultural background. The mirror that Eve places in front of us is not only intended for the audience, but for Fields as well.

“Who am I?”

I struggle to find an answer, but I am planted with an idea. I am beautiful. You are as well. I welcome you to explore what else Eve has to offer.

Artist Bio

To me art a universal language. Like a smile – art is not bound by language or even cultural barriers – it needs no translation to the passionate viewer. I love that it can make you want to laugh and cry. It can piss you off and encourage you. It is an influencer, a microphone, a conduit of passion, energy, and power. I love that it can mean 100 different things to 100 different people. Art is its own language that everyone seems to speak. I have works in oil, watercolor, pencil, Prismacolor pencil, mixed media, and digital (using Wacom Cintiq). Last year I started experimenting with gold leaf…and I cannot stop. Gold leaf adds a timeless quality and richness to mixed media works. Before I begin a piece I think first about the emotion that I want it to convey then I rely on line work, medium, and color choice to finish telling the story. I love color. Color alone can tell a story. Color creates mood, sets the tone, and can change the entire implication of a photograph, illustration, or scene. I have always been in love with illustration, design, animation, and film. Since I was a kid I have wanted to be a Disney Pixar animator. These passions led me back to school where I am working towards my BFA in Digital Media so I can fulfill my dream of being a concept artist – entering the exciting world of character design, storyboarding, and screenwriting. Media shapes how we see ourselves and how we see others. There is a glaring lack of diversity and strong female roles in movies. From my personal life experiences, I know that young girls need to see competent, diverse, strong (not sexualized), and intelligent women in places of leadership and power instead of the cliché damsels in distress commonly portrayed in Hollywood. One of my goals is to create characters and stories with female heroes of all races. As artists, we have an opportunity to positively influence and challenge culture in a dramatic way. While words may immediately offend someone, art has the ability to woo her viewer before they realize they are being challenged and positively influenced her. // Piper lives in Grand Rapids, MI with her family who inspire fresh, creative adventures daily.