Detsy Hallock

Since the time I was a young girl growing up in Venezuela, I’ve always enjoyed drawing, painting, and making unique arts and crafts.  It was just a hobby for me for many years, despite many people expressing interest in my work and encouraging me to take it professional. I moved to Egypt in 2003 and there, in the shadow of the pyramids and surrounded by thousands of years of amazing history, I was inspired to take my art to the next level. 

The people, architecture, and landscapes of the many diverse countries where I have lived, including Venezuela, Egypt, Trinidad and Tobago, the U.S., England, and the U.A.E., are often the subjects of my art.

In 2018 I moved to Dubai where I have continued to create using various mediums and styles.  My styles range from abstract and impressionistic to more realistic renditions using vivid colors in unique combinations. What thrills me the most is to see a viewer’s emotional response when they genuinely connect with a painting that I’ve poured my passion into. I love sharing with others my vision of the world with the goal of bringing some joy, pleasure, and perhaps a different perspective of the “ordinary” to others.

During the past 15 years, my paintings have been exhibited, including in numerous juried exhibitions, in Cairo, Washington, DC, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania and I have sold dozens of pieces over the years, several of which were commissioned.

I was born in Maturin, Venezuela, the youngest of four sisters to a schoolteacher mother and a farmer father. I started painting and drawing on a regular basis in 2004 after leaving Venezuela and moving to Cairo, Egypt. Although painting and drawing have always been a hobby, the unique mosaic of desert scenes, exotic people, and unparalleled history of Egypt gave me an abundance of subject matter to indulge my passion for art.

Untainted by formal academic art training, I paint because I feel a sense of freedom, peacefulness, and connection with my surroundings. When my work is going well, I am filled with feelings of achievement and happiness that I can’t explain. 

Sixteen years after moving to Egypt and subsequently moving to the USA, I have continued to expand my knowledge and expertise in the world of art. I have even taken some technical art courses at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey in Summit, NJ, and the Center for Contemporary Art in Bedminster, NJ.

My goal as an artist is to create work that allows others to feel the passion and pleasure that comes from art. I enjoy working in a variety of media, especially oil, acrylics, pastels, watercolors, and, more recently, resin art and color pencil. Regardless of the medium, my art is inspired by the beauty of nature, the individuality of people, and the mystery of abstracts. I particularly enjoy the challenge of trying to capture the unique character and emotions of people when I do portraits. I also favor abstract pieces which are open to broad interpretation by the viewer and permit a more creative use of color that is unrestrained by realism.

I moved to the United Arab Emirates from the USA in September 2018. Dubai is one of the most culturally diverse and interesting cities in the world and I continue to offer my artistic vision as a way to connect with fascinating people from around the world. 

List of past exhibitions:

• Exhibited 35 paintings at The Community Service Association in Cairo, Egypt in February-March 2009.
• Exhibited 20 paintings at the Arlington Arts Gallery, Arlington, Virginia, USA from April 2010 until April 2011.
• Exhibited at the Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, USA, in the annual non-juried members exhibition from June 21st to August 27th, 2013.
• Selected via juried competition to exhibit at the Mountain Art Show in Bernardsville, NJ, USA, on October 20, 2013.
• Exhibited at the St. John on the Mountain Small Treasure Show in Bernardsville, NJ, USA, from October 19^th till October 27th, 2013.
• Donated a painting to The Center for Contemporary Art for the “Off the Wall” benefit held on October 25th, 2013 in Bedminster, NJ, USA. The painting was successfully sold.
• Selected via juried competition to exhibit at the Metro30 Show, cWOW, City Without Walls in Newark, NJ, USA in December 2013.
• Exhibiting at the Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, USA, in the annual non-juried members exhibition from June 20th to July 21st, 2014.
• Selected via juried to exhibit at the Seton University School of Law, One Newark Center from August 2014 in Newark, NJ, USA, until 2016.
• Selected by Robin Fand, publisher of The Connection Magazine to display a piece as a cover in their 10th Anniversary. June/July/August 2014.
• Exhibited at the St. John on the Mountain Small Treasure Show from October 19th until October 27th, 2014 in Bernardsville, NJ, USA.
• Exhibited at the Artist United! Project Fishtown 2, from September 5th until September 7th, 2014 in Fishtown, PA, USA.
• Exhibited at the Center for Contemporary Art, for the annual non-juried members exhibition from June 23rd to September 7th, 2017, Bedminster, NJ, USA.
• Exhibited at the Center for Contemporary Art, for the annual non-juried Members exhibition from June 23rd to September 7th, 2017, Bedminster, NJ, USA.
• Exhibited at the Fall Fine Art Showcase, from September 22^nd, 2017 to September 24^th, 2017, 123 Main Street, Flemington, NJ, USA.
• Exhibiting at Atezaar Online Gallery, the “New Beginnings” virtual exhibition from September 26^th for 25 days showing online, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
• Exhibited at the World Art Dubai, from October 8^Th till October 10^Th, 2020, Sheikh Saeed Hall, Dubai World Trade Center, United Arab Emirates.
• Exhibiting at the “Light Within Us” virtual exhibition from October 25th for 25 days showing online.

List of past and present galleries artist is working with:

• The Community Service Association in Cairo, Egypt.
• Arlington Arts Gallery, Arlington, Virginia, USA.
• The Center for Contemporary Art, Bedminster, NJ, USA.
• Artezaar.com, Online Art Gallery, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
• Koboart.com, Online Art Gallery, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.
• Artchic.ae, Online Art Gallery, United Arab Emirates, Dubai.

List of prizes and recognitions earned:

• Selected via juried competition to exhibit at the Mountain Art Show.
• Selected via juried competition to exhibit at the Metro30 Show, cWOW.
• Selected via juried to exhibit at the Seton University School of Law, One Newark Center. Only 8 artists were selected from 200 that applied.
• Selected by Robin Fand, publisher of The Connection Magazine to display a piece as a cover in their 10th Anniversary. June/July/August 2014. (See attached in the email cover of the magazine)