Cesar Aguilera

Curator: Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center 

The art that Cesar Aguilera creates is inevitably connected with his life's experience and although his works reflect the dramatic impact of living in this age of transition to what is being called the new world of the Anthropocene epoch, they are deeply dependent on life for their meaning and relevance. 

To achieve this he adapts the materials he uses to carry a narrative that is expressed in collective efforts of paint, mixed media, found objects and two or three dimensional alliances, where the meaning of the ideas being narrated is made to rest for the benefit of the viewer. Life itself however, takes center stage in his practice the same as life is taking center stage in this age of mass extinction and the prospects of the end of human history. His work then is not about what is wrong and who has done it, rather is about awakening to a new world, its challenges and the search for the culture that can prevent its demise. 

He is an accomplished artist in mixed media paintings, drawing, painting, sculpture, film, special effects, make-up, costume design, fashion design, acting, and even performance art. His mixed media pieces not only embrace traditional media such as oils and acrylics but such unconventional materials as coffee, bleach, discarded technology, and found objects of every ilk and design. 

Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Cesar is a guiding force in the Southwest Florida art scene. In 2015 he received the Gulfshore Life Emerging Arts Leader award. He is the art curator of the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center’s Grand Atrium and Capital Gallery, Swfl Muralfest organizer/producer, and co-founder of Artsemble Underground, which he created with Brian Weaver in 2016 in order to bring art to the people. Their passion for making art more accessible to people throughout Southwest Florida manifests itself in myriad forms, and the spray-painted murals depicting themes of inclusion, love, honor, and diversity allow the duo to make a permanent mark on the community.

Artsemble Underground was created by Cesar Aguilera and Brian Weaver in an effort to bring art to everyone: art for the people. Artsemble was also created to help local businesses attract traffic with murals, sculptures, or art events. Brian and Cesar have collaborated with different artists and organizations since 2014.  In 2016 they formally created Artsemble Underground LLC. Together, they wanted to forge an all-immersive multimedia assembly and experience of art and life, where concepts could be replicated anywhere, without the need of an art institution or gallery that often hinder the creative process and final output. Additionally, Artsemble’s gives up and coming artists a platform to take them to the next level in their creative paths, with the idea that artists united can reach higher levels without the need of an art institution , to use art as an instrument of social change instead of a commodity. 

 Curator at Arts Bonita 

The things that drive the human experience are based on instinct and emotion. Since the beginning of mankind the ways in which we relate to one another, connect, and evolve have consistently been revolving around those basic drives. And these instincts lurk still, within the depths of the human subconscious.

It is this that prompts the inspiration for D. Branchaud’s work. Combined with a survey of personal experience, her paintings have created a window through the eyes of the subconscious, into a place that illustrates those basest of instincts and emotions. The goal of works such as the “Emotive” series is to illustrate the universality of emotion. It not only serves as a reflection of the artist’s own experience, but also provides a mirror for the audience to see within themselves.

Her work walks a tightrope between fantasy and surrealism, into an honest realm of pure visceral emotion. The “Emotive” series largely skimmed the surface. Her new work is intended to reach new depths, delving into her personal world of dreamscapes. The nightmarish imagery used to illuminate those unconscious thoughts serve as further exploration into the things that make us human.

D. Branchaud was born in Canada in 1985, and has been painting with acrylics since 2003. She currently resides in Florida, and is continuing her series work as well as various commissions and projects. The intimacy that she employs with the “Emotive” and “Visceral” series’ is also applied to portraits (where the goal is not simply to achieve a likeness, but to capture the essence of the subject), as well as conceptual commissions and illustrations.

Follow D Branchaud Art on Facebook and Instagram @dbranchaudart

Graphic designer at The Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center

Sacred Geometry, Surrealism, Ancient Esoterics, Art Nouveau, Jungism Themes and Visionary Psychedelics are a few of the many influences that Israel combines to express his style and energy.

Juli Bobman grew up in Fort Myers and graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design. Juli worked as a jewelry designer and fabricator for many years before settling down to marry and grow a family. Juli always kept busy creating art for fundraisers, doing graphic design work for non-profits, and continuing to build her own skills. Juli made her dream become reality in 2020 when she opened her studio, Behind the Buddha, where artists come together to collaborate, brainstorm, and expand their skill set with life drawing.

Ms. Bobman explains that her inspiration usually begins from something that she finds amusing, even silly. It is generally an observation of nature that her mind enjoys twisting into different, sensual images. Bobman says, “Is it any wonder that I fell in love with artists such as Georgia O'Keeffe and Hilma af Klimt? Both significantly shaped my inner vision and understanding of natural patterns and phases which I then tie together to form a story that tells my version of the Divine Feminine and her power, raw, female, floral, phases, frequency and spirituality. She began as a simple, amusing moment and became a spiritual powerhouse of inspiration."