ISABEL CRISTINA BALCÁZAR
Artist | Art Educator | Environmental Advocate

I am a visual artist born and raised in Medellín, Antioquia, as the daughter of the Bogotá-born artist Carlos Balcázar and educational psychologist Doris González. My primary education took place in Medellín, where I attended La Mercedarias and Santa Clara de Asís until the 8th grade. In 2007, during 9th grade, I moved with my mother to New York, completing high school with honors at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick, NY. There, I also obtained a technical diploma in Aviation Operations from Barry Tech Institute.

Since the age of 15, I held various roles—babysitter, cashier, waitress—while cultivating my artistic passion. Despite family encouragement to pursue medicine or law, I maintained my focus on art. By securing national and state scholarships, I financed my education, earning an A.S. in Fine Arts from Nassau Community College and later, a BFA in Painting with a specialization in European Art History at SUNY Old Westbury.

My professional experience is diverse, spanning roles in the fast-food industry, telecommunications, banking, insurance, and even legal and healthcare administration. Yet, in 2021, driven by a long-held dream to travel, I left New York for a 19-month backpacking journey across Central America. This transformative period included collaborations with fellow artists, volunteer work, and residencies at places like The Mauser Eco-house in Costa Rica, La Casa Bonita in Mexico City, and Arte Sumapaz in Colombia. During this time, I also became a certified Hatha Yoga instructor at Ashram Vanghadurgha in San Rafael, Antioquia.

Now based in Támesis, Antioquia, near Tierra Satva, I am dedicated to my work as an independent muralist, art educator, and yoga instructor. My commitment to environmental conservation and education is central to my practice, especially through art therapy workshops with children in rural areas of Antioquia. I am actively involved with Imagina Jericó and Visión Suroeste, contributing visual material to support their efforts in protecting our land from multinational extractivist projects. In my free time, I create, paint, design, plant trees, explore the tropical Andes, and deepen my knowledge of agroforestry, agroecology, and syntropic farming systems.