Priscilla da Silva

I’m intrigued by everything that makes me understand myself better. Being creative is a huge necessity for me and has always been a massive part of my life for as long as I can remember. Creating is the capacity to know what I feel, to be in touch with the self and to be able to then express it through my craft. During my creation process I feel like I can easily embrace my feelings and view them through another perspective. Each of my works that I have created have been extremely personal and the more I immerse myself in my work, the more I find clarity, groundedness and connectivity.

Using painting, drawing, and sketching I explore free and associative forms as well as the interactions between them. I use the practice of figurative expressionism painting because of my deep love for photography. When I think of a picture, I can’t help but think of a painting or drawing it. For inspiration, I look to photographers that shoot in black and white, people in movement and unspoken relationships help guide my sketches. In my practice, using my sketchbook as my camera allows me to communicate emotions often lost on film.

I choose to create an interplay using black, white (and everything in between) on paper or canvas to express what lies between the light and the dark. The warmth that this produces— even in the darkest colors, is a reminder that beauty can also lie in the shadows. The chosen contrasts, shades, gradients, composition and play between light and shadow mimics my life experiences and challenges the viewer to look deeper and more intricately.

There are many artists who have inspired me in my own creative path. I’m a huge fan of Marlene Dumas because she deliberately chooses to represent marginalized groups (ex. victims of sexism, middle eastern violence, racism, etc.) in her work. Most of her work is based on a photograph, which she cuts out from magazines or newspapers. With minimal means she manages to obtain a maximum effect by giving her figurative message through expressionism. Seeing other works helps me to better understand the concept or subject I would like to explore in the future. It helps me to discover which pathway would be best for me. Nemi, Karen Machiavelli, Michael Armitage, and Toyin Ojih Odutola are just a few of the artists that inspire me to further develop my craft.