Born in 1990 in the Caribbean country of the Dominican Republic, Esmeilyn spent her early youth on the family farm, growing accustomed to the vibrant colors of the various fruits and vegetables her father grew. However, her idyllic island lifestyle would be replaced by the stark and busy atmosphere of Miami, Florida after her parents’ divorce and her mother’s decision to move her and her siblings to the United States. As a young teenager suddenly thrust into an entirely different culture, Esmeilyn’s fascination with identities and personas would inevitably develop.

Primarily raised by her mother, Esmeilyn’s talent for visual arts immediately impressed upon her the need to cultivate these new ambitions.

After spending nearly two decades in Miami, Florida, Esmeilyn has since upended her life once more to begin anew in the New England state of Connecticut…

Through portrait paintings and drawings, Esmeilyn explores the psychological effects traumatic events related to physical, sexual, and verbal abuse has and how a person is forced to transform as a result. In her current work, Esmeilyn presents the subjects in empowered poses or bold colors so as not to be viewed as victims, but as survivors. As a survivor, she questions how honest the outsider’s perspective toward the survivor is. Are the viewers showing genuine empathy or do they behave as they believe society expects them to? Are their motives relevant or is the survivor’s sense of validation all that matters?

Her current series, Physiognomy, explores how facial expressions give way to deeper personal insights, the challenges of removing our masks to reveal who we are when confronted with public scrutiny, and the juxtaposition between the façade we display versus the emotions we attempt to subdue.