Tonia Calderon
Tonia Calderon lives and works in Los Angeles. She often employs borderless textures and surfaces in her visual works that force the viewer to question, feel, and reflect. Because conscious material selection (➜ Read more: The BMW iX3 rim as canvas) is inspired by personal life experiences, relationships and the multicultural background of the artist, who has Mexican, Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese ancestry. She began working as an independent artist at 19, moonlighting as a bartender, and she purchased a home in Arizona as a safe anchor immediately after graduating from high school: “If there was one thing I was sure of as a young woman, it was that I would do whatever it took to support myself. ”When the real estate market collapsed though, she had to reevaluate her notions of stability and security – and moved to Los Angeles to devote herself to being a full-time artist.
"We’ve worked with women from all over the world during our 50 years of cultural engagement at the BMW Group: from established artists such as Cao Fei, Jenny Holzer, and Esther Mahlangu to emerging contemporary artists such as Tonia, Leelee, Abigail, and many others. A balanced diversity of perspectives across genders and nationalities is vital."
-Hedwig Solis Weinstein | Head of BMW Arts & Thought Leadership Collaborations
When it comes to equal rights for female artists, however, Calderon now sees a lot of catching up to do in the here-and-now. “True equality is a distant goal in terms of how women are represented and valued in museums and galleries. Conversation and awareness are a great start – but as long as we see that inequalities are still alive and thriving in our society, we can assume that those same inequalities will be reflected in art. The best way to combat inequality is through education and, more importantly, representation. Those of us fortunate enough to have a career in the arts in these times have a duty to change the picture. Children – future artists, creators, inventors and builders – are witness to the paths we pave. I hope I can help encourage future artists and children to become the best versions of themselves that they are capable of with my art and visibility.”