Today we’d like to introduce you to Fernanda Fregozo Torres.
Hi Fernanda, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My name is Fernanda Fregozo Torres. I was born in 2001 in Uriangato, Guanajuato, Mexico, and I currently live and work in Kansas City, Missouri. I am a multidisciplinary artist, painter, sculptor, dancer, art tutor, and commissioned artist. I have always been drawn to different forms of creative expression, and I don’t feel the need to limit myself to one medium or discipline.
My artistic journey has taken me through many different spaces in the Kansas City arts community. My work has been exhibited at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, United Colors Gallery, the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, the Zhou Brothers Art Center, the Mattie Rhodes Art Center, Gallery Athanor, the Mexican Consulate in Kansas City, and other local exhibitions. I have participated in juried exhibitions, student exhibitions, pop-up shows, live art events, and collaborative projects. I have also received recognition through programs including the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art’s Shooting Star Scholarship and a Fine Arts Scholarship through Johnson County Community College.
My work is deeply connected to my personal experiences, culture, and the questions I have about the world around me. I am interested in memory, identity, home, family, spirituality, and Mexican cultural heritage. Rather than trying to recreate reality exactly as it appears, I am more interested in expressing how something feels. I use expressive brushwork, dreamlike imagery, symbolism, and experimental materials to tell stories and explore emotions.
My sister once described my work as contemporary, emotionally expressive, and deeply symbolic. She said that although each piece may look different, they are connected through recurring themes and personal storytelling, giving my work a thoughtful, gallery-oriented quality. Hearing her describe my art this way was meaningful to me because sometimes another person can recognize connections in your work that you don’t immediately see yourself.
I work across painting, sculpture, collage, textiles, and other mixed-media approaches. I enjoy experimenting and allowing the material to become part of the meaning. For me, creating art is often a process of asking questions rather than trying to provide one definite answer.
I genuinely love working with other artists and being part of creative projects where everyone brings their own perspective. I don’t always have to be the person creating the artwork—I also enjoy being a model and participating in another artist’s vision. Being on the other side of the creative process has taught me to appreciate how differently artists see the same person, object, or moment. I love that exchange of ideas and the sense of community that comes from creating together.
Dance is another important part of my creative identity. As a dancer, I have learned about movement, discipline, emotion, storytelling, and connection. I see a strong relationship between dance and visual art because both can communicate feelings and stories without necessarily relying on words.
Teaching art is another part of my life that I value deeply. As an art tutor, I have the opportunity to help other people discover their creativity and become more confident in their own artistic voice. I also take on commissions, which allows me to create work that has a personal meaning for someone else.
My professional life extends beyond the arts as well. I have worked as a barista and currently work as a manager in the fast-food industry. Those experiences have taught me leadership, responsibility, communication, patience, and how to connect with people from many different backgrounds. I don’t see those parts of my life as separate from being an artist. They are experiences that shape me, and ultimately, they influence the way I observe people and the world around me.
At 25, I am still discovering where my creative path will take me. I want to continue painting, sculpting, dancing, teaching, collaborating, modeling, and learning. I don’t want to put myself into one category. I want to remain curious and open to new experiences.
For me, being an artist is not simply about making something beautiful. It is about creating connections, asking questions, remembering where I come from, understanding where I am going, and giving other people an opportunity to see the world through my perspective.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Thankfully, in many ways, my journey has been smooth because I’ve been fortunate to have people around me who recognize my potential and my passion for art. I’ve had people nominate me for scholarships, guide me through the education process, tell me about exhibitions and opportunities, and encourage me to keep going. Having supportive and kind people around me has made a big difference, and I’m very grateful for the people who have believed in me and helped me along the way.
At the same time, there have definitely been challenges. One of the biggest has been figuring out what I’m realistically able to do financially while continuing to pursue my education and my career as an artist. There are opportunities I would love to pursue, but sometimes financial limitations and the responsibilities of everyday life make those decisions more complicated. Balancing work, art, education, and everything that comes with being an independent adult can be overwhelming at times.
I’m still working through that and trying to find a way to continue my education without putting myself under an unhealthy amount of financial stress. One of my long-term goals is to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts, specifically in painting, and I’m continuing to work toward making that possible.
I think the setbacks have also taught me patience. I’m learning that having a different timeline doesn’t mean I’m falling behind. Sometimes progress looks like taking small steps, staying connected to the art community, continuing to create, and being open to opportunities when they come. I’m grateful that, even when the road has not been easy, I’ve never felt completely alone on it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a mexican artist working in Kansas City. My work expands across, painting, sculpture, and performance. I do this via memories of flowers, architecture, and family members from my home country. Exploring moments in time, personal experience and spaces that influence who we are.
From an outside perspective people could say my art is described contemporary, emotionally expressive, and deeply symbolic, exploring themes of memory, identity, home, family, spirituality, and Mexican cultural heritage. Rather than focusing on realism, emphasizes emotion through expressive brushwork, dreamlike imagery, and experimental use of mixed media, including painting, sculpture, collage, and textiles. Although each piece looks different, they are connected by recurring themes and personal storytelling, giving your work the feel of thoughtful, gallery-oriented fine art.
My ability to set my mind to a project, commission, teaching event is very driven and professional. I try my best to give my best and work around any struggles to make it happen. My work can be intuitive but maintaining a clear idea of what the end result is. Teaching has been a working progress because teaching the youth can be difficult at times, I am now at a place where I am comfortable and see the growth to my lessons. Being patient and a lot of repetition has allowed me to share the love of art with my community.
Being multimedia keeps me going in many different directions. A true artist has not one but many projects at once. A never ending moment of creation. I’m thankful to attract commissions and events that allow me to create more resources and networking.
Each piece of art I have is unique to itself but every work is connected through color and symbolism. Sometimes secretive and sometimes very obvious.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can reach out through all social media and email. I have friends and strangers that I speak to and end up planning paintings. I would appreciate to be supported through social media interactions or sharing my name with others. Allowing me to teach your kids or even adults, individually or in groups. I am the event planner for Ollama cafe and plan sip & paint classes and many other style of classes. I have curated two art shows and really enjoy it.
Pricing:
- Nothing under 100 for paintings is my requirement
- For classes I am mobile and it’s $20 per hour
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Fer.nandafregozotorres
