2022 Grad Show

Natalie Melara

AUArts Grad Show Harry@mhphoto.com

Painting

www.nataliemelara.com

My practice involves cultural investigation and how the repeated negations to recognize the complexities faced resulted in feelings of displacement and led to the formation of a hybrid identity. Both Canadian and Salvadoran cultures act as significant sources in the creation of my remixed identity; and even though cultures can clash - they can also harmonize. It is this harmony that I am interested in - the idea that both influences are necessary and important - but the real beauty lies in the in-between - where they come together and create something new.

My work highlights how the liminal space between the physical and digital world, just like the liminal space between two cultures, results in new realities and artifacts. Merging the qualities of traditional art making and a digital practice leads to the creation of a hybrid territory - a “contemporary practice that respects it’s double origins” - in the same way I attempt to respect my double origins by retaining cultural layers and finding a way to merge them. My whole identity has become a “contemporary practice” that simultaneously feels familiar in some ways - but completely original and new in others. What does it mean to be a Latina Canadian? - I am a result of the fluid interaction between the two worlds.

DIGITAL THREADS OF IDENTITY

I refashion and repurpose handmade paintings and collages into digital forms. My paintings are turned into patterns using Adobe Capture. The colours and imagery from my handmade work result in digital patterns that resemble weavings and textiles of Central America.

Every layer of the work depends on one another and aims to reform and improve with each cycle. I then examine these patterns for imagery and iconography that I can again refashion and repurpose into a finished work. Through the resulting media hybrids I attempt to gain a better understanding of the belief systems and life experiences that inform who I am.

DIGITAL THREADS OF IDENTITY

I refashion and repurpose handmade paintings and collages into digital forms. My paintings are turned into patterns using Adobe Capture. The colours and imagery from my handmade work result in digital patterns that resemble weavings and textiles of Central America.

Every layer of the work depends on one another and aims to reform and improve with each cycle. I then examine these patterns for imagery and iconography that I can again refashion and repurpose into a finished work. Through the resulting media hybrids I attempt to gain a better understanding of the belief systems and life experiences that inform who I am.

DRAWING

A collection of drawings done during my time at Alberta University of the Arts.

JEWELLERY & METAL

A collection of Jewellery and Metal works created during my time at Alberta University of the Arts.

MULTI MEDIA

A collection of multi-media works done during my time at Alberta University of the Arts.

PAINTING

A collection of paintings completed throughout my time at Alberta University of the Arts.

This site may contain artworks with provocative content that some viewers may find uncomfortable or upsetting. AUArts supports a culture of non-censorship and ongoing conversations about contemporary art.