Mirvia Eckert

painter mirvia eckert

"The renewal has been a welcome energy boost. Ideas are flowing and there aren’t enough hours in the day to paint them all."

Mirvia Eckert

MIRVIASOL.COM / @MIRVIASOLPAINTER Mirvia’s battle with breast cancer changed her life view and sparked further development of her style. She entered group shows and built a body of work, leading to her first solo show. Her father’s passing a few years later left Mirvia unable to paint in her colorful style. Once the motivation to create returned, she used grayscale paintings as a form of therapy. This instilled confidence to re-engage in the arts community, and she co-founded the Indy Latina Artists group in 2021. The original plan for my renewal involved traveling to Puerto Rico and immersing myself in the culture while taking lessons in Bomba y Plena. Dance is a huge part of Puerto Rican culture and the traditional dance of the island is Bomba. Plena is the music and lyrics. I’d hoped to see first-hand how Bomba is danced on the streets. Instead, Mirvia traveled to Tampa, Florida, and took instruction from Jessica Albino, a dancer, musician, singer, and Bombera (female instructor). Jessica taught Mirvia a variety of Puerto Rican dance styles, but focused on sica and yuba. Mirvia’s immersion in Puerto Rican dance history also included performing with instruments like the barril (traditional drum), and having conversations around the challenges of being a Bombera, as Bomba culture is historically dominated by men. I gained a new perspective on my culture that I’m anxious to work into my paintings and am planning a new body of work that’ll bring it all together.