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Biography

Growing up Puerto Rican in Staten Island, Lazarus Nazario was surrounded by the sights and sounds of a rich heritage that released a ritualistic beauty essential to her as a painter. Nazario’s work is rooted in mythology and magical realism, filled with references ranging from ancient Catholic religious art to recent family photos.

She has received numerous scholarships to attend The National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts, and has also studied at the Art Student’s League and The School of Visual Arts, New York City. In 2006 Lazarus received an Original Work Grant from the New York State Council of the Arts and the Council of the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, NY.

Her work is in numerous collections across the country, including the President of NY SEIU, Dennis Rivera, as well as Light Show and Installation Artist, Joshua White. She has shown at The Staten Island Museum where she gave a lecture as part of the Artist’s Round Table Series. And The National Academy of Design where she won First Prize for Portraiture as well as The National Arts Club, where she won the James Amster Memorial Award.

In 2008 Lazarus was chosen by Peter Selz and Morley Safer to exhibit paintings from her war series made possible in part by a grant from the George Sugarman Foundation. That year she was also part of the 40th Anniversary Exhibition for The Center for Civil Human Rights.

She has taught at The Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Wagner College in New York. She lives and works in Jersey City, New Jersey.