‘RAW AND VULNERABLE’
Santa Fe artist Alison Hixon’s ‘from the bottom of my heart’ is at Iconik
Alison Hixon is open to inspiration. These days, it’s the human condition, the subconscious mind and what it means to be a woman in the world today.
The Santa Fe resident is currently exhibiting her work, “from the bottom of my heart,” at Iconik Coffee Roasters Lupe,
314 S. Guadalupe
St. The show runs through Aug. 31.
“This is all from within me,” she says of the exhibit. “Life has been really crazy, and I feel like this is my most raw and vulnerable show.”
At Iconik, visitors will see about 15 pieces of Hixon’s work. They range from illustration and paintings to stained glass.
“I’ve never shown it before,” she says. “During the pandemic, I made the shift to the stained glass medium. It’s been a journey for me to bring the images I see in my head to life through stained glass.”
Hixon says her work is a colorful commentary on her journey through life, channeling themes of self-identity, sexuality, coming of age, and the emotional turmoils of being a young woman. “My work often depicts distorted perceptions, exaggerated emotions and contorted female figures placed in surreal surroundings or landscapes,” she says. “I like to show how
our emotions change our bodies physically and how it affects the environment around us.”
Hixon says her art is a constant evolution that runs parallel with her selfdevelopment.
She consistently works with watercolor because it allows her to get her thoughts and emotions down on paper quickly, then finishing in black ink to rebel against the colorful softness to control and intensify the movement or story.
“I work every day on something,” she says. “I used to live in Chicago and was an actor. After auditions or performances, I’d get my supplies out and capture what I was feeling.”
Hixon has lived in Santa Fe for just a short time. Yet, she’s already felt the sense of home the art community brings.
“There’s a respect in the community here,” she says. “I’m excited to be part of this community and to see where my art takes me.”
Hixon also created a ‘zine’ that includes all her sketches and writing. She also curated a playlist for the show.
“I’ve never been this vulnerable with my sketches and my writing,” she says. “A lot of the women I draw are somewhat versions of me.”