Photography by Andrei Elkin
B I O
I was born in Hammond, Indiana in spring of 1998. I began in the creative arts with piano lessons before transitioning to orchestra in fourth grade. The viola was my instrument of choice and I continued with dedication throughout high school, where I played viola as 1st chair for the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. At 16, my friends and I formed an independent, travelling string quartet known as All Strings Attached, where we performed for numerous weddings and private events!
During the summer of graduation, I participated in the Congressional Art Competition. My watercolor piece, celebrating Indiana's Bicentennial, was awarded 1st place and recognition within the National Gallery of the United States Capitol for one year. I was privileged
to visit the capitol and see it in person among hundreds of other amazing artists.
In fall of that same year, I began schooling at the American Academy of Art in downtown Chicago for my BFA in Traditional Illustration. Since 2017, I have participated as a student docent delivering gallery talks for The Art Institute of Chicago's JAM (Jobs at Art Museums). This program heavily centers around museum careers, and focuses on youth participation in professional research. My interest takes place in the field as a museum guide, to teach others about art history and to engage them more with it. In the future I plan to study abroad for my masters in Art History.
In 2018 I entered the Society of Illustrators Art Competition, with encouragement from my professors, for my watercolor paintings. One painting, titled Fritos was accepted and published in their accompanying annual magazine. My piece was exhibited within the Museum of the Society of Illustrators in New York and awarded a scholarship.
I graduated with my BFA in Traditional Illustration in 2020 and was hired as the very first Artist-in-Residence by Draper & Kramer for their newly built residential property, Aspire Residences, established in the South Loop of Chicago. I created several paintings and sculptures for their amenity and front lobby spaces as well as hallways and mailroom. You can read more in my Chicago Tribune article with this link!
As an artist today, my childhood conjures an era I consistently reflect on through vivid memory. My choice of color palette and attention to hidden detail is aimed to inspire personal nostalgia, and a sense of discreteness. I also utilize music as an experimental aid, which can be a powerful drive in the creation process and time spent beforehand conceptualizing.
Part of my approach begins with taking the organic attributes of the subject and reconstructing them with a specific vision. I reflect on this as a strong origin for individuality and artistry.
In late 2021, I undertook a traditional tattoo apprenticeship for 15 months before parting ways to embark on a new journey to learn about traditional and indigenous methods of the ancient craft. This was a major pivot for me early in my career as a tattoo artist because I was simultaneously reconnecting with my own culture and identity. I learned hand poking for another year under my teacher and friend, and traveled to different states around the Midwest to tattoo with my own traditional methods and share my passion and medicine with people I now call friends for life.
Musically, I still love to perform! I started writing my own music in the beginning of 2023 and had my first open mic performance with 3 original songs in February 2023. Since then, I like playing at pop-up shows and DIY's around various cities. My latest solo project is underway and I'm looking to record and release music late 2025. I recently uploaded a few of my acoustic runs that you can watch on YouTube.
A R T I S T S T A T E M E N T
Canary Amparo Garcia is a traditional painter, illustrator, tattooist, and creative maker of textile design. Her work’s growth and change throughout her career accompany the cycled genres of art she appreciates most. Her strong background in watercolor, and experience with other mediums such as gouache and graphite, are showcased in her ability to paint photorealistically. Her individual work centers on the notion that color and shape are intertwined with our memories and emotional patterns. She uses this as a source of inspiration along with personal life experiences to visually elaborate on this foundational idea.
Education
2016 - 2020
The American Academy of Art, Chicago IL
BFA Traditional Illustration
Awards
2016
1st Place Congressional Art Competition, Washington DC
2018
Society of Illustrators magazine publication, New York NY
Exhibitions
Group
2017
Congressional Art Competition, United States Capitol
2018
Student Competition, Museum of the Society of Illustrators, New York NY
2018
Illustration Show, Bill L. Parks Gallery, Chicago IL
2020
Illustration Show, Bill L. Parks Gallery, Chicago IL
2022
Bespoke Men's Grooming, Chicago IL
2023
Logan Square Immersive Arts Cooperative, Chicago IL