A combination of vibrant color, surreal images and a deep-rooted love of family come together to bring fine arts graduate student Eli Casiano’s paintings to life, practically exploding off the canvases they’re on.
Casiano’s time is currently encompassed by his work on his thesis exhibition, a collection he has titled “Yes We Can Can” after a Pointer Sisters song written by New Orleans-native Allen Toussaint. Casiano said he found the song “optimistic and reminiscent” of former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign “Yes We Can,” which derived from Cesar Chavez’s slogan from his work in the United Farmworkers Union.
“[These words] became influential in my practice and approach to confronting themes of conflict and adversity,” Casiano said. 
Casiano said he finds inspiration from his family, especially his mother, who showed him creativity at a young age. He said his mother was the first person who exposed him to the creative arts.
“My mother used to own a cake shop, and she used to airbrush Disney characters or cartoon characters onto cakes,” Casiano said. “I just realized this semester that was the reason I wanted to paint. I would play around with her tools.”
Casiano’s studio is full of pictures of his family — most notably, a poster covered in imitations of the same picture of his sister. This would act as the base for one of the staples of his collection: “54 Portraits,” a set inspired by the Mexican bingo card game called Loteria.
“[They] combine satirical wordplay, metaphors and allusions to pop culture,” Casiano said. “Juxtaposing the photograph of my sister with the children’s game Loteria promotes an innocence and beauty to April’s childhood, along with the instability of choosing her own future as an underprivileged female minority.”
Casiano said his mother and sister’s influence shines brightest in one of his most recent projects, one that was just officially given the green-light a couple of weeks ago: a scholarship, named for his mother and sister, for art students of Casiano’s undergrad alma mater East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.
“I developed the Nora Marie Casiano Scholarship for a woman or non-binary person of color to receive a stipend in their fall semester,” Casiano said. “The faculty will choose a student they believe has the self-drive and determination to get better at their work.”
Casiano’s said he hopes to encourage young people who might receive his scholarship to be passionate and inspiring like his “Yes We Can” work. He said “Yes We Can” is about community, which is why the scholarship is an important venture for him.
“Because of the family aspect of it, it turned into more of a social practice,” Casiano said. “‘Yes We Can Can’ is basically about forming a stronger community and taking care of people.”
Casiano’s exhibition will be open April 17 to 21, with a special reception on April 21 from 6-8 p.m. at the Alfred C. Glassell Jr. Exhibition Art Gallery at the Shaw Center for the Arts. The exhibit will feature an opportunity to purchase some of his work and contribute to his new scholarship fund.
Despite how deeply personal the inspiration behind his work is, the Pointer Sisters song behind his exhibition’s title contains a message that anyone who sees Casiano’s work can relate to. The song is about growth and kindness, which is what Casiano ultimately wants to portray.
“My painting got stronger even teaching foundation classes; it kind of brushes me up on things I got so used to just doing all the time,” Casiano said. “A mixture of teaching and speaking with students and just meeting new painters has probably helped informed my work. A lot of it has to do with looking at the past to understand the present.”