Tina Alberni: Resilience, Artivism, and a Multidisciplinary Artistic Journey

Tina Alberni is a multidisciplinary artist whose three-decade career showcases profound resilience in the face of personal health challenges and a continuous evolution across diverse artistic mediums. Her work consistently explores the intricate coexistence of humanity, nature, and technology, addressing global issues like climate change and fostering dialogue. Alberni leverages her art as "artivism," aiming to connect, educate, and inspire change through visually engaging and often technologically integrated narratives.

Artistic Evolution and Multidisciplinary Practice

Alberni's journey spans over three decades, continuously exploring new mediums from early oil paints to current digital technologies, augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI).
Her style evolved from black and white compositions to vibrant organic shapes, then geometric forms, and significantly, a post-2018 focus on endangered species.
Her process involves research, spontaneous mark-making, and layering textures, colors, symbols, often incorporating found or recycled materials.
She has embraced graphic/web design, integrated AR features into paintings, and exhibited digital art in Web3/metaverse spaces, including NFTs and digital billboards.

Resilience as a Core Artistic Theme

Resilience is deeply intertwined with her personal journey, as she lives with Marfan syndrome, a life-threatening condition requiring multiple surgeries.
Art serves as a sanctuary and tool for processing difficult experiences; she explored abstract figurative art during her first open-heart surgery.
During a fourth surgery, she incorporated glass mosaics into her paintings, using broken glass as a metaphor for healing and transformation.
Her artistic rhythm mirrors life's unpredictable flow, adapting and innovating even during recovery periods, which led to new digital explorations.

Artivism and Global Societal Impact

Alberni identifies as an "artivist," merging her artistic practice with activism to raise awareness about critical contemporary issues.
Her work directly addresses themes such as climate change, endangered species, and the impact of technology on human connection.
She donates a percentage of her art sales to non-profits aligned with her subjects, inspiring collectors to support causes and advocate for environmental preservation.
Her art serves as a catalyst for conversation, aiming to engage viewers beyond aesthetics, prompting reflection and inspiring tangible change.

Foundational Influences and Artistic Process

Her artistic sensibilities were shaped by a multicultural, bilingual upbringing in Puerto Rico and Bogotá, Colombia, exposing her to a broad spectrum of human experiences.
Early inspiration came from watching her artist mother and experimenting with oil paints by age six.
Formal education (B.A. in Art Education with a printmaking focus) instilled principles like "trusting the process, exploring layers, and appreciating repetition."
Fifteen years dedicated to teaching art to middle and high school students further exposed her to new techniques and ideas, influencing her evolving style.