Born in 1981 in East Los Angeles, Ana Rodriguez grew up in Maywood, an industrial city south of Los Angeles. She earned a BFA from California State University Long Beach (2007) and an MFA from Otis College of Art & Design (2009).

Rodriguez describes the experience of living amidst factories and their emissions as an important influence on her work. "Whether the smells were from the Farmer John hog rendering plant, the roofing tar supply house, or the Vons Bakery, strong odors permeated the environment. There was a constant combination of foul, chemical and sweet smells, chemical gases or sulfur against baking bread or spices. I was always intrigued by the visual imagery that the odors inspired in me and I would picture colors in my mind to go with odors I would smell. I am also inspired by Islamic patterns that I first encountered as a child when reading tales from the Arabian Nights. These patterns resonated with me and they related to the decorations I grew up with-the patterned bathroom and kitchen floors, wallpaper and cabinet liners as well as to the pattern of smoke trails that came from the nearby smokestacks."

Rodriguez's work was included in Wet Paint: Ten Young LA Painters, Steve Turner Contemporary (2009) and she will have her first solo exhibition with Steve Turner in September, 2010.

Back to Artists