Photographer credit: May Truong
Gilda Monreal, also known as Fiya Bruxa, is an international award winning visual artist, actress, filmmaker, and writer. She is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the “Essencia Arts Collective”, who believes that art can be a tool for social change and community empowerment. Fiya’s visual stories are expressed through canvas, mural, graffiti and installation. Her work has been exhibited in select galleries, and one can find her large-scale murals in the streets of Toronto, Montreal, New York, Sweden, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Senegal. Her murals and graffiti have been published in magazines, and she has participated in various international festivals including PanAms 2015, Asinabka 2014, Artscape Sweden 2014, Sunfest 2013 & 2014, Manifesto 2010/2012/2013/2014, Fire Within 2012, 2MGraff Senegal 2011, Tercer Mundo Colombia 2010, Planet Rock Chile 2010, Massive Art 2009, and Muro Por la Paz Chile 2009, and Allende Arts For Peace 2008.
