About the Artist:
Edwin Gil is a versatile and introspective artist whose work reflects his deep connection to nature and humanity. Through his art, Edwin explores themes of healing, self-discovery, and community unity. His projects, such as gathering handprints of hope on a flag, exemplify his commitment to using art as a tool for fostering understanding and connection.
Artist Statement:
I believe art holds the power to transform—both the individual and the collective. It heals wounds, bridges differences, and sparks meaningful change. My work is a mirror of my own evolution: a journey through vulnerability, identity, and self-acceptance. Through each piece, I seek to create a space where others feel empowered to explore their inner landscapes, confront their truths, and embrace the beauty of imperfection. Ultimately, my art is an invitation to cultivate a more compassionate and connected world.
Process:
My creative process is rooted in deep introspection. Each piece begins with an exploration of my own emotional layers—patterns, fears, attachments, and longings. This practice is as much about healing as it is about making. In peeling back these inner layers, I uncover truths that shape the narratives in my work. Every artwork becomes a chapter of my personal story, while also offering viewers an opportunity to reflect on their own journeys of growth and self-discovery.
Artist Biography
Throughout my artistic journey, I’ve engaged in projects that have profoundly shaped my approach to creativity and life. A central theme in my work is the healing power of art—how it can help us transcend pain, reclaim our narratives, and connect across differences. Embracing and transforming my own history has allowed me to use art as a form of self-discovery and emotional renewal.
My travels around the world have also left a lasting mark on my art, especially in cultivating community and challenging cultural stereotypes. Projects like collecting handprints of hope on a flag have shown me how art can be a unifying force—sparking understanding and creating spaces where empathy and belonging thrive.
Today, my focus has turned inward through a deeply personal and evolving project: The Heart Series. This body of work invites viewers into an intimate exploration of the emotional landscapes that define us. As I peel back my own layers—facing patterns, attachments, and fears—I extend an invitation for others to do the same. Each piece becomes a vessel for vulnerability, reminding us of the shared humanity within our individual journeys.
Ultimately, my artistic practice is about more than creation—it is about transformation. Through every brushstroke and concept, I aim to inspire others to reflect, heal, and find the courage to live more authentically.
Gil
is a passionate advocate for social art, using his creative practice to bridge cultures and foster unity among diverse communities across the United States.
Edwin Gil’s artistic journey is one of global resonance and profound personal transformation. Rooted in empathy, healing, and cultural understanding, his work has taken him across continents and into the heart of communities where art becomes a bridge—fostering connection, dialogue, and change. Through bold, socially engaged projects, Edwin challenges stereotypes and cultivates a sense of belonging, inviting others to become active agents in their own healing and collective unity.
Currently, Edwin is immersed in Layers, a deeply introspective project exploring the emotional and psychological patterns that shape our identities—attachments, fears, and the complexity of personal evolution. This series encourages viewers to confront vulnerability and embrace their own path of self-discovery.
Looking ahead, Edwin is preparing to unveil his latest trilogy, The Heart Series, a profound continuation of his exploration of emotional healing and human resilience. Launching in Fall 2025 and concluding in Fall 2026, this body of work will delve into the symbolic and spiritual power of the heart—inviting audiences to reconnect with their inner truth, purpose, and emotional legacy.
His community-based initiatives—including Con ‘A’ de Arte (A for Art) and Art Sí (Art Yes) in partnership with the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, as well as Nuestra Bandera, Nuestro País, Nuestro Hogar (Our Flag, Our Country, Our Home), Home Sweet Home, Flag of Hope, and Faces of Diversity—reflect Edwin’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of art to engage youth and foster positive social change.
Edwin’s recent biography, The Game of Alchemy in Life, and the accompanying exhibit Alchemy underscore his lifelong mission: to inspire, uplift, and unite through the universal language of art—locally, nationally, and globally.
The Story
Edwin Gil: Art as a Bridge for Healing, Identity, and Social Change
Edwin Gil is a passionate social activist and acclaimed visual artist who uses art as a transformative tool to connect communities, amplify marginalized voices, and inspire social change. With a career rooted in advocacy and creative engagement, Gil’s work bridges cultures and fosters belonging through artistic expression.
Among his early groundbreaking initiatives are Con ‘A’ de Arte (A for Art) and Art Sí (Art Yes)—community-based programs developed in partnership with the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. These projects empowered youth to use art as a vehicle for self-expression, cultural pride, and social impact.
One of his most celebrated local projects, Home Sweet Home, mobilized school children in Charlotte to co-create a monumental mural symbolizing unity and belonging. The project earned Gil widespread recognition, including the opportunity to meet then-Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Internationally, Gil led Nuestra Bandera, Nuestro País, Nuestro Hogar (“Our Flag, Our Country, Our Home”), a powerful collective artwork in which over 25,000 displaced Colombians from across the globe contributed their handprints to form a large-scale Colombian flag. This emotional and unifying piece was presented to President Álvaro Uribe during Colombia’s bicentennial celebration and later honored by the municipality of Medellín.
Gil’s impact has garnered international acclaim. He is the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Premio Huella Colombiana en el Exterior, Premio Diamante (North Carolina), and Premio Nueva Generación (Miami). In 2011, Agencia EFE named him Latino of the Year, placing him alongside distinguished figures such as U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and journalist Jorge Ramos.
His ongoing initiative, Flag of Hope, travels across North Carolina collecting handprints and signatures from residents to create the state’s first community-made handprint flag—symbolizing collective identity and unity.
Gil has also led other impactful programs, including Painting4Diversity and the Faces of Diversity Project, and has facilitated diversity and inclusion workshops at universities and community organizations across the country.
Despite personal and professional challenges, Edwin Gil has become one of the most prominent Latino artists in the United States, known not only for his vibrant mixed-media work but also for his unwavering commitment to building bridges through art.
After serving four years as an art educator at Providence Day School (PDS) in Charlotte, Gil moved to the West Coast during the COVID-19 pandemic to expand his artistic work and healing practice. In late 2022, he returned to Charlotte to take on a new leadership role as Chief Development Officer at the Latin American Coalition (LAC), where he is playing a key role in the creation of a new cultural center dedicated to the Latino community.
Currently, Gil is preparing a deeply personal and emotionally rich series titled The Heart Trilogy, which explores healing, trauma, and transformation through symbolic representations of the heart.
The first exhibition, A Heart with Purpose (Fall 2025), features heart-shaped clay sculptures that reflect emotional fragility, resilience, and the Colombian saying “tengo el corazón arrugado”—an expression of sorrow and longing.
The second installment, ArteFlame: Healing the Inner Child (Spring 2026), uses fire, mixed media, and human silhouettes to reconnect with childhood wounds and spark creative rebirth.
The final piece of the trilogy, Rebirth Through Silence (Fall 2026), blends clay, canvas, and glass to reflect on transformation through quiet introspection and self-acceptance.
The Heart Trilogy stands as both a personal healing journey and a universal invitation for others to explore the wisdom that can arise from pain. Through this series, Gil offers a space where vulnerability becomes strength, and where the heart is honored as a source of guidance, reflection, and light.
He is also working on a forthcoming biography and continues to use his art to inspire empathy, celebrate cultural identity, and build bridges across difference.
