PORTFOLIO

portfolio

Infinite Genesis

Oil on canvas

H 60 in x W 48 in | 2026

A portrait of the divine feminine and masculine. Inspired by my sister’s journey

Sanctuary

Oil on canvas, 24k gold leaf

H 60 in x W 48 in | 2026

Immaculata

Oil on canvas

H 60 in x W 48 in | 2026

Sacred Ascension

Oil on canvas

H 60 in x W 48 in | 2026

Illuminated by a full moon, a Native woman ascends through the clouds. Wearing a yellow floral print and traditional moccasins, she is surrounded by imaginary angels. These sacred spirits are hybrids of orchids, birds, and butterflies, symbolizing beauty, transformation, resilience, and a connection between the natural and spiritual worlds.

Esperanza | Hope

Oil, Airbrush on canvas

H 60 in x W 48 in | 2025

Within a celestial sky, a mother rises with Andean Condor wings, reaching toward her children. Inspired by Monica Moretta Galarza’s assault by ICE officers in front of her daughter and son, the work explores generational trauma, separation, and the freedom to heal beyond inherited suffering.

Milagros Del Alma | Miracles of the Soul

Oil, Airbrush on canvas

H 48 in x W 60 in | 2025

Portrait features the women in my inner circle representing Central and South America. They served as models during a live painting session at sunset as we stood together in the shallow edge of a lake. The composition itself emerged from a meditation visualization.

A R T I S T ᛫ S T A T E M E N T

I am Vanessa Ayala, a New York based painter and first-generation American of Andean descent (Quechua / Aymara). My practice reimagines portraiture to center Indigenous women from across the Americas, restoring visibility to our communities.

Working in oil and airbrush, I employ a deliberate material duality: oil references the visual language of colonial devotional painting, while airbrush acts as a culturally resonant medium of remembrance. Painting women from my inner circle alongside personal iconography, I honor oral tradition, lived experience, and collective histories.

Large-scale figures emerge as embodiments of spiritual sovereignty. Through luminosity and symbolic forms, the sacred and surreal converge as offerings of sanctuary. Each vision commands presence, inviting reflection on self-worth and dignity.

E X H I B I T I O N S

Luz En La Sombra

H 60 in x W 48 in

Acrylic on canvas

Sold: Private Collector

2025

Future Sunset

H 72 in x W 48 in

Airbrush on canvas

24k genuine gold leaf

Sold: Private Collector

2024

Sacred Cura

H 48 in x W 36 in

Acrylic on canvas

Sold: Private Collector

Facing West

H 72 in x W 48 in

Airbrush on canvas

24k genuine gold leaf

Sold: Private Collector

2024

Alignment

H 72 in x W 48 in

Airbrush on canvas

24k genuine gold leaf

Sold: Private Collector

2024

Still Here

H 72 in x W 48 in

Acrylic on canvas

Sold: Private Collector

P O R T F O L I O

portfolio

A R T I S T ᛫ S T A T E M E N T