2023 Grad Show

Annamaria Pereira

AUArts Grad Show IMG_0614

Drawing

Annamaria Pereira is a 4th year Drawing Major. She is a Canadian artist with a Filipino and Trinidadian ancestry. Her work consists of mixed media or charcoal drawings, and installations that represent self-identity, self-reflection and struggles with mental health. She experiments with a variety of materials and forms of line work, to create portraitures or scenarios relating to the identity. Her idea is to confront the unconscious and create a space where viewers can discuss topics that are often separated from the public, as they are made to be taboo subjects.

Breaking the Derogatory Breaking the Derogatory is an indoor hanging installation piece. It is a hanging installation with the use of two different surfaces, mixed media paper and transparent poster board. On the mixed media paper, there is a self-portrait, whereas the transparent poster board involves the “derogatory”. Which will be a visual reference to a discriminatory term that society may use to refer to mixed people, “half-breed” or “mutt”.
Canboulay Canboulay refers to “burnt cane”, or burnt sugar cane. Exhibited is an oddly shaped, wood burnt hanging installation. You would have never guessed that sugarcane was used as a rebellion against slavery and the cultural restrictions in Trinidad and Tobago. As the cane is burned, it starts to shed its layers, slowly revealing its appearance. By burning sugarcane, the main objective is to rebel. The rebuilt installation is a character of myself, having to trust the material despite its damages.
Put Out The Fire Put Out The Fire is an installation that hangs a charcoal drawn, self-portrait. The installation is a combination of a wooden base and sugar cane sticks. The installation begins to collapse, as both the real sugar cane sticks and the sugar canes drawn over top of the transparent paper lay on the ground. The transparent paper throughout my series is used to represent the assumptions that may arise from society as a mixed race individual. The transparent paper becomes melted and diminished.

Burning Off

Burning Off is a series of three indoor hanging installations, which use’s the combination of wooden dowels, metal and wire to hang two subjective charcoal portraits. One of the portraits represents the natural state of the subject, which would be myself, and the second is considered to be a projection from the internal insecurities that stream unconsciously as a result of the assumptions made towards mixed people. The installations are fragile, but are bandaged through the trust of the material, despite its damages and traumas, in order to rebuild. They represent the unconscious process of trying to rebuild my identity as a mixed individual, and burn off the negative assumptions and derogatory remarks made by the public.

Burning Off AUArts Grad Show 62559C23-E61F-4143-9D79-4BF41CC73B38
Breaking the Derogatory Breaking the Derogatory is an indoor hanging installation piece. It is a hanging installation with the use of two different surfaces, mixed media paper and transparent poster board. On the mixed media paper, there is a self-portrait, whereas the transparent poster board involves the “derogatory”. Which will be a visual reference to a discriminatory term that society may use to refer to mixed people, “half-breed” or “mutt”.
Burning Off AUArts Grad Show 0A4A0E63-2F1D-466E-902D-BA51FEDE4101
Canboulay Canboulay refers to “burnt cane”, or burnt sugar cane. Exhibited is an oddly shaped, wood burnt hanging installation. You would have never guessed that sugarcane was used as a rebellion against slavery and the cultural restrictions in Trinidad and Tobago. As the cane is burned, it starts to shed its layers, slowly revealing its appearance. By burning sugarcane, the main objective is to rebel. The rebuilt installation is a character of myself, having to trust the material despite its damages.
Burning Off AUArts Grad Show 723939EB-EDB2-4397-A8C4-88E575C74F85
Put Out The Fire Put Out The Fire is an installation that hangs a charcoal drawn, self-portrait. The installation is a combination of a wooden base and sugar cane sticks. The installation begins to collapse, as both the real sugar cane sticks and the sugar canes drawn over top of the transparent paper lay on the ground. The transparent paper throughout my series is used to represent the assumptions that may arise from society as a mixed race individual. The transparent paper becomes melted and diminished.
Burning Off AUArts Grad Show IMG_5182
Letters to My Loved Ones Letters to My Loved Ones is a prismacolour drawing on MDF board. It discusses my memories with isolation during covid restrictions, and the struggle with mental health. It sheds light on how memories do not necessarily carry a positive experience, however, through confronting our memories, we can learn self-acceptance, growth, and forgiveness for ourselves in that particular situation. The process of layering and sanding down the gesso and acrylic inks can act as an active meditation.
Wake Me Up Early Tomorrow, Ok? Wake Me Up Early Tomorrow, Ok? is a prismacolour drawing on MDF board. It represents the memory of witnessing a loved ones addiction to alcohol. Throughout this process of layering and sanding acrylic inks and gesso, and drawing the images, I felt significant grief, sadness and confusion about the situation. Sharing this series of memories, I hope to not only activate different associations with these objects, and how these objects are interacted with, but to normalize these discussions.
Who’s There? Who’s There? is a prismacolour drawing on a mixed media MDF board. It discusses my memories with using cannabis. It started off as recreation, without my realization that it was an unconscious way to escape and fight the loneliness and isolation I was facing. The artwork is meant to represent both euphoria and a state of sadness through the use of colour scheme and a subtle, isolating hand holding a joint, representing an individual experience. However, it is not restricting the viewers memory.

I Remember

I Remember is a series that documents the theme of memory and the feelings or colours associated with it. The series involves works that are on MDF board, with a mixed media surface. I use acrylic inks and gesso as layers for the surface and then sand it down to create a textured and rhythmic background. The background can represent how the unconscious carries many elements, and can become a collection in the ways we hold memories within it. Through the imagery, I hope to encourage a discussion of memories or feelings that may come up for each individual, despite it having a personal meaning to myself. It is interesting to see how our associations differ.

I Remember AUArts Grad Show IMG_7370
Letters to My Loved Ones Letters to My Loved Ones is a prismacolour drawing on MDF board. It discusses my memories with isolation during covid restrictions, and the struggle with mental health. It sheds light on how memories do not necessarily carry a positive experience, however, through confronting our memories, we can learn self-acceptance, growth, and forgiveness for ourselves in that particular situation. The process of layering and sanding down the gesso and acrylic inks can act as an active meditation.
I Remember AUArts Grad Show IMG_7373
Wake Me Up Early Tomorrow, Ok? Wake Me Up Early Tomorrow, Ok? is a prismacolour drawing on MDF board. It represents the memory of witnessing a loved ones addiction to alcohol. Throughout this process of layering and sanding acrylic inks and gesso, and drawing the images, I felt significant grief, sadness and confusion about the situation. Sharing this series of memories, I hope to not only activate different associations with these objects, and how these objects are interacted with, but to normalize these discussions.
I Remember AUArts Grad Show IMG_7374
Who’s There? Who’s There? is a prismacolour drawing on a mixed media MDF board. It discusses my memories with using cannabis. It started off as recreation, without my realization that it was an unconscious way to escape and fight the loneliness and isolation I was facing. The artwork is meant to represent both euphoria and a state of sadness through the use of colour scheme and a subtle, isolating hand holding a joint, representing an individual experience. However, it is not restricting the viewers memory.
LOOK AT THOSE… LOOK AT THOSE… is a life sized sculpture imitating the muscular system of the breasts. As all of these changes are happening during puberty in the female muscular system, insecurities and scares start to begin such as, size, symmetry, why people are staring at our breasts, and if they are healthy enough. This is the female gaze of breasts versus the male gaze, through the black bra overtop. The decaying flower represents aging as the duct and lobules begin to shrink and lose its lactation.

LOOK AT THOSE…

LOOK AT THOSE… is a life sized sculpture imitating the muscular system of the breasts. As all of these changes are happening during puberty in the female muscular system, insecurities and scares start to begin such as, size, symmetry, why people are staring at our breasts, and if they are healthy enough. According to “Stanfords Childrens Health”, the female mammary glands start to take control once puberty has started, estrogen would maintain the ducts to carry milk, which are the stems that extend outwards from the areola/nipple. The main goal was to interpret the differences of the male and female gaze when it comes to breasts, how harmful sexual objectification can be and considering biological standpoints of the breast’s muscle system.

LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7928
LOOK AT THOSE… LOOK AT THOSE… is a life sized sculpture imitating the muscular system of the breasts. As all of these changes are happening during puberty in the female muscular system, insecurities and scares start to begin such as, size, symmetry, why people are staring at our breasts, and if they are healthy enough. This is the female gaze of breasts versus the male gaze, through the black bra overtop. The decaying flower represents aging as the duct and lobules begin to shrink and lose its lactation.
LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7929
LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7930
LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7931
LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7932
LOOK AT THOSE… AUArts Grad Show IMG_7951

Roses and a Drink to You

https://youtu.be/4HeuloZtp5E

Untitled One of three black ballpoint pen drawings within the Take Over series that discusses struggles with mental health, thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Each work is a different scenario that many individuals may have thought about in their life’s, if they understand or have encountered the isolation or highly emotional process that occurs when struggling with thoughts of suicide. The goal is to create a safe space and encourage viewers to normalize a conversation about these feelings.
Untitled Second of the three works in the Take Over series. The artwork is a black ballpoint pen drawing on mixed media paper. My further research into pointillism has led me to use the technique to convey imaginary scenarios or clouds of thought, relating to suicide.
The final work of the three within the Take Over series. It is a black ballpoint pen drawing on mixed media paper.

Take Over

In the winter semester, Annamaria has been working on a series relating to topics of suicide and self harm. Through the techniques of pointillism and the use of monochrome schemes, she represents the way a person can struggle with their mental health, leading to thoughts of suicide. These thoughts can often separate the individual from reality, creating a vulnerability to the identity and mind. It can also create a shift of perspective, especially through colour, as the way we see colour is affected by our mental state.

References:

Ruth Buczynski, PhD. “The Connection between Color Perception and
Mood.” NICABM, 16 Feb. 2021, https://www.nicabm.com/depression-the-connection-between-color-perception-and-mood/.

Take Over AUArts Grad Show IMG_0227
Untitled One of three black ballpoint pen drawings within the Take Over series that discusses struggles with mental health, thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Each work is a different scenario that many individuals may have thought about in their life’s, if they understand or have encountered the isolation or highly emotional process that occurs when struggling with thoughts of suicide. The goal is to create a safe space and encourage viewers to normalize a conversation about these feelings.
Take Over AUArts Grad Show IMG_0710
Untitled Second of the three works in the Take Over series. The artwork is a black ballpoint pen drawing on mixed media paper. My further research into pointillism has led me to use the technique to convey imaginary scenarios or clouds of thought, relating to suicide.
Take Over AUArts Grad Show IMG_0711
The final work of the three within the Take Over series. It is a black ballpoint pen drawing on mixed media paper.

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