Anael Levy R - Art Portfolio

anael levy rosemberg

about me

I strongly believe that human evolution is a continuous process. Meaning that we have the power to influence our environment, the way we internalize and distribute information and our perception of ourselves. I've had the habit of analyzing everything around me since I was a child in order to understand things better. I've learned over the years that using art as a tool to process my surroundings is the most effective method. I've found that art has helped me comprehend my emotions in circumstances where I did not know what was happening and has helped me evolve and tune into my spiritual self. My art represents how I experience the world and my feelings; it's the finest reflection of who I really am. A lot of my art is highly disassociated and removed from its surroundings, an appropriate depiction of my headspace. My pattern of self-expression varies depending on the kind of medium I use. For instance, when making films, I draw inspiration from my loved ones. I use films as a means to write "love letters" to my family to show them how much I care about them. My photography is my “explorer” side, I almost always get inspired to photograph landscapes away from home. Through photography, I am also immersing myself and learning about many cultures. In relation to my visual art, both digital and analogue, I conceal myself using metaphors and ambiguity. I utilize physical creation to help me become more aware of my emotions and my decision-making processes, as well as express my spiritual visions. Therefore, my art changes as I think, see and behave. My art shapes around my being and my stages of evolution.

paintings

In many aspects, Channel 7 is a selfportrait, but mostly, it's how I used to see myself a couple of years ago. The hanging, rusted bathtub that is filled to the brim with liquid gold is the focus of this piece. The gold overflowing the bathtub represents my inability to regulate and control my emotions; the bathtub itself is a metaphor for how I perceive myself. The bathtub in the television is used to demonstrate my lack of control over my view. Tuning into my surrealist side allowed me to express this concept in a free and appropriately.

Channel 7

11 x 14 in

- 2020

This piece doesn't necessarily have a deep meaning, it was initially a way for me to experiment with various technical aspects. There is a big head with a third eye to the left that stands for my belief in the opening of my third eye and a way for me to practice 3D painting techniques. During the creation, I was considering my behaviours and daily routines and realized the statement "I didn't ask to be like this”, reflects my mindset of the time. This is one of the few pieces in which I went out of my comfort zone and created something I would’ve never thought I could achieve.

I Didn’t Ask To Be Like This 2021

16 x 20 in

- acrylic and marker over canvas

acrylic and marker over canvas

Shakti 2023

25.6 x 19.7 in

acrylic, pastels & synthetic plants over canvas

Shakti is a deity that embodies power and divine feminine energy and is essentially the godhead that created the world. For this painting, I have chosen to express my own perception of what Shakti may look like and what she means to me. Throughout the process, I had to do some inner work and really understand what such a powerful being represents and how I embody it on a daily basis. My intentions with this piece are to connect with my inner Shakti and create this beautiful art that others can look at to connect with their own Shakti. For this meaningful piece, I decided to experiment with various media and challenge myself to find new and creative ways to express my concept. This piece has allowed me to tune into my feminine energy whilst connecting with my expressionist side.

slowly sinking into the

paper collage over canvas

14 x 4 in clay and metal wire

the r.e.m. cycle

I made the decision to physically portray how my body feels when it prepares to go to sleep. My body sometimes fi nds it difficult to sleep deeply, making me feel physically more exhausted. The first stage of the sleep cycle, known as N1, might occur multiple times throughout the course of the night. During this cycle, your mind is still awake and well aware, but your body is beginning to shut down. Consequently, it is impossible to fall deeply asleep. This is a cycle that I know all too well.

films

Perdido - 2019

This film is a form of activism and expression of feelings that I have toward the situation that my home country Venezuela is constantly in. Venezuela before offered a more reliable, comforting and safe environment for the people that lived there, including my family. Now the dictatorship is causing the country great poverty, war and a humanitarian crisis. In public places, you are almost immediately bombarded by protestors, angry mobs and war. Venezuelans are now forced to flee to outsider countries due to a lack of resources. The confusion and desperation the protagonist shows throughout the film mirror the worries we Venezuelans experience on a daily basis for our country and our family that have been unlucky to escape. Not only is this film a way to show the importance I have toward my country but as well as raises awareness for those who don’t know what is going on.

Coming Of Age 2022

animation & digital prints

What is coming of age? Even though I don't believe we ever really “come of age” my experience with society’s standard of so was or has been all over the place. In this short animation, I contrast my experiences growing up with how I believe others around me have grown up. The second child that comes up on the screen is me, the more I grow up, the more I deform and melt, which is a way to show that I am quite literally losing myself. To join this “film,” I have made pieces to express better the narrative I’m trying to get across. Eventually, everyone will lose themselves. However, I just happened to experience it earlier on in life. I wanted the concept and the visuals to contrast each other in a very unnerving way. Apart from the concept and my need for expression, I saw this project as a chance to experiment with the combination of my passion for film and for drawing, animation.

For my final film…for a while, I decided to pay tribute and show importance to my grandma, Felicitas Kort. Throughout my life, she has told me many stories about different stages of her life, and I have always been so intrigued by every single one of her experiences. Along with the exciting yet questionable advice that she has given me, I figured the only way to express my perspective from our connection truly was to create a ‘how to’ guide about her life. Not only is the film a dedication to my grandmother, but it has also formed a foundation in which she and I can connect on greater levels. The film, being entirely in my native language, Spanish, was one of the most important factors that created many obstacles. However, staying authentic, especially when talking about such a close relationship, is an aspect that fueled my passion for this project. The reason I made this film was not to reach certain criteria or to make unknown people in the audience know more about my grandmother, it was to display and prove how much I admire my grandmother and marvel over her life. Ultimately, creating this film has allowed me to appreciate my grandmother on a deeper level, push forward a new narrative rarely seen in young Canadian filmmakers, and connect with my ethnic identity.