Director’s Choice Award: Shannon Gillera
- Lukumi Arlota
- Dec 31, 2025
- 3 min read
Shannon Gillera was named the recipient of the Director’s Choice Award at the 2025 The Funk Before Christmas Art Show, a recognition that reflects not just a single standout work, but the depth, clarity, and emotional intelligence that define her growing artistic practice. Working across digital art and tattooing while balancing full-time work and motherhood, Gillera continues to establish herself as an artist whose voice is both personal and widely resonant.
Gillera’s work has become known for its ability to hold complexity without spectacle. Rather than chasing visual excess, she builds meaning through symbolism, layered narratives, and emotional honesty. Her award-winning presence at this year’s show affirmed what curators and audiences have increasingly recognized: Gillera’s art is rooted in lived experience, disciplined craft, and a clear commitment to growth—both artistic and personal.
Time, identity, and legacy are recurring concerns in her work, shaped profoundly by her experience as a mother. Gillera describes motherhood as fundamentally reshaping her relationship with time—not simply as something measured, but as something inhabited. Since becoming a mother, she explains, time has become “a constant reminder to stay present,” while also urging her to think intentionally about the future and the person she is becoming for her children. This awareness—of showing up fully in each moment—has become a guiding force in her creative process.
Nature-based symbolism also plays a central role in Gillera’s visual language. She frequently returns to imagery of roots, branches, and cycles of growth, seeing them as metaphors for family, resilience, and generational connection. “I’ve fallen in love with roots,” she says, describing them as symbols of shared foundation and collective strength. For Gillera, identity is not formed in isolation but through seasons of rising and falling, much like trees that endure damage yet continue to grow. This perspective mirrors her broader artistic philosophy: growth is nonlinear, but it is persistent.
Emotionally, Gillera’s work does not shy away from vulnerability. Introspection, healing, and endurance are treated not as weaknesses but as essential forms of strength. She speaks openly about her healing journey through motherhood, including navigating postpartum depression, and how reflection became a necessary tool for survival and transformation. Moments of stillness in her imagery are not escapes, she explains, but pauses—spaces to process, recalibrate, and continue forward.
This balance between fragility and resilience is central to Gillera’s success as an artist. She acknowledges sacrifice as part of the journey, but never frames it as defeat. Instead, she likens herself to a tree weathering seasonal damage: cracks form, branches may fall, but strength returns. “We take things one day at a time,” she says, “and eventually, we flourish.” That philosophy resonates not only in her subject matter but in her career trajectory as well.
Though her themes are deeply organic, Gillera’s choice to work digitally has become a defining strength. Digital media, she notes, allows for a process that mirrors motherhood itself—what she calls “controlled chaos.” The ability to layer, revise, dismantle, and rebuild an image gives her the freedom to reflect an identity that is constantly evolving. This technical adaptability has helped her bridge emotional depth with precision, earning respect across both fine art and tattoo communities.
Heritage and family—both biological and chosen—also inform her work. Gillera credits her community with encouraging her to seek truth, challenge herself, and stay connected to her roots. That support, she says, has helped her evolve from a shy child into a confident, expressive woman, unafraid to claim space creatively and personally.
Ultimately, Gillera sees her work as an offering—to her future self, to other women, and to anyone navigating growth through struggle. She describes her life as a mother of three sons, a visual and tattoo artist, and a full-time worker as “chaotic, joyful, peaceful, stressful, and frustrating—all at once.” Yet it is precisely this fullness that fuels her art. Gratitude, faith, and persistence anchor her practice, giving it both humility and power.
The Director’s Choice Award at the 2025 The Funk Before Christmas Art Show marks an important milestone for Shannon Gillera—but it also feels like a natural step in an unfolding journey. As her work continues to mature, one thing remains clear: Gillera is not just creating images; she is building a legacy grounded in truth, resilience, and intentional growth.
Lukumi Arlota – Contributing Writer
Lukumi Arlota is a mental health advocate, black empowerment activist, public speaker, and business owner.
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