Liza Dizon becomes infinite with 'Reflections'

Liza Dizon is an artist, but she commits to that title with hesitation. 

“I’ve always been a creative but never thought of myself as an artist till others started saying I was. I just always thought of it as self-expression,” she said.

For years, Dizon, who is currently based in Alaska, helped people and brands tell their story. But she says it wasn’t until she looked within that she could uncover her artistry. The culmination of this discovery is her upcoming debut exhibit, “Reflections.”

More than an exhibit, “Reflections” is an immersive experience, merging light, mirrors and sound with other senses. Dizon calls it her “Hail Mary, delulu show.” It’s a product of her self-discovery through art and play. 

She began sharing anecdotes and creative projects around her self-reflections on Instagram. It wasn’t until she received encouragement from Jovell Rennie, an Alaska-based photographer and owner of Akela Space, that a seed was planted for an exhibit.

“I just had it in the back of my mind, because I didn’t know if I was fully ready for that,” Dizon said. “But then I went on this trip to Joshua Tree, and meditated in the desert with my sound bowl, in the infinite horizon, and came back with an exhibit idea to pitch.”

It’s that kind of trust in energies that Dizon welcomes into her life, guiding her from one phase to the next. Producing this exhibit came during a transition for her. She was laid off from her job, and rather than seeing this moment as a setback, she saw it as an opportunity to step forward into her art. And, through a series of divine interventions, she came into alignment.

“The universe asked me how I can be infinite; I needed to shed my leaves of everything old and fill the spaces with intention, love and purpose,” she said.

In a multitude of interpretations, “Reflections” is Dizon’s self-discovery materialized. It’s permission into her personal exploration of her being and what feeds it, lending her devices to help viewers navigate their own ships.

“My depth, my soul-inquiring, turned into tools for others to use and explore,” she said. “I think of this show as my theory put into practice.”

Through this study, Dizon found that her humanity is inseparable from community care and collective healing. And, her art, she explains, is a reflection and an offering, a reminder that confronting ourselves and centering our purpose isn’t selfish. They’re foundations and an awareness we need to ground our work, show up and be present. 

“My life philosophy is we’re put on this earth to be of service to each other, but with that comes duality,” she emphasized. “I can’t be in service to others if I’m not in service of myself.”

That duality is central to “Reflections.” She claims her space and her individuality, and what that means beyond her artistry as a mother, a lover of music, and a lifelong learner, in a setting that calls for community to find themselves too. 

“I want people to feel awakened. I want them to question what it means to be here and present, to be conscious in this world instead of walking zombies to the narratives built around us, starting with self,” she said.

Ultimately, “Reflections” is an invitation to pause and face the layers of our identities before leaving them unexplored. 

And, for Dizon, it's renewed identification that is proof she is, in fact, an artist.

"Reflections" premieres Dec. 5 at Akela Space in Anchorage, Alaska.