For OLLU alumna and visual artist Dreamy Dulce, art gives visible form to experiences others may never see.
A spring 2026 graduate with bachelor’s degrees in Visual & New Media Arts and Psychology, Dulce is continuing that exploration through an artist residency at San Antonio’s Thrown Studio. Her latest ceramic work will appear in Internalities, opening Nov. 14 from 6–9 p.m. at 531 Guadalupe St., Suite A.
When Dulce arrived at OLLU in fall 2022, she primarily created digital drawings and portraits of women. By graduation, her practice included abstract painting, installations, ceramics, embroidery and sewing.
Along the way, she learned to challenge both her skills and her expectations. An assignment that initially felt restrictive helped her discover abstract painting—and recognize how her own harsh standards could limit her creativity.
In ceramics with Professor Harmon, she set an ambitious goal: hand-building a moonjar despite having no experience with coil construction. The finished piece sold for $200 at her senior exhibition.
Her final year also brought significant health challenges as she balanced coursework, exhibition planning and an upcoming surgery. Support from her mother, boyfriend and OLLU staff, along with careful organization, helped her finish.
Those experiences informed her senior exhibition, Pain & Comfort, which explored personal experiences of pain and coping. For her Honors Capstone, she also curated Between Classes, inviting students to consider art as an outlet for mental health struggles.
After graduation, Professor Gonzalez shared the Thrown Studio residency opportunity. There, Dulce found space to experiment and a community of ceramicists willing to help.
Her new work draws on her experiences with chronic reproductive health conditions. One moonjar-inspired piece, Adhesions, uses sculpted forms and layered glazes to express internal pain.
“I wanted to take the internal struggle and create an external piece that was so visceral and shocking to strengthen the voice of those who struggle with the same diseases that I do,” she said.
For students considering an artistic career, Dulce encourages persistence and a willingness to pursue opportunities.
“If you don’t try, you will never know.”
