Today we’d like to introduce you to Ana Sanchez.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in Havana, Cuba, and spent my childhood living in Colombia, where I got my Business and Economics degree in 2010. After moving to Los Angeles, California in 2012, I explored different creative outlets until deciding to get my BFA at Laguna College of Art and Design. This multidisciplinary and diverse background has helped me combine different elements of literature and philosophy into my artistic work, including the poetry of Edvard Munch and the works of Jean Paul Sartre.
Please tell us about your art.
My role as an artist is to depict the multiple emotional dimensions of the human mind. I am interested in exploring the things that are often rejected, considered forbidden and macabre; I see beauty in ugly, broken, and imperfect things that most people often wish to overlook. I am constantly inspired by the natural cycles of life and death, the acceptance of transience and imperfection, and the beauty of chaos and grief. I aspire to create expressive and emotionally charged works by applying techniques of the old masters in drawings and paintings to connect with the universality of the human psyche in its emotional level. However, I seek an unusual representation of common subjects: hiding under blankets and veils, in the shadows, giving their back to the viewers, incomplete and decaying.
My work comes from a private place; I do not create to please an audience. I draw inspiration from the Personal Unconscious, merging elements from my own story and growth with the collective blueprint of humankind. This is a process of uncluttering my mind from thoughts that keep me awake, from beautiful nightmares to grotesque daydreams. I do not wish to explain my work but to let others tell me their thoughts about it. I know what it means to me, but my wish is not to share it, as my ideas and feelings about my art evolve and change every minute. I want my work to be an intimate experience and a tool in the discovery of our own personal Shadow.
Do you have any advice for other artists? Any lessons you wished you learned earlier?
Gather inspiration from everything that surrounds you! Don’t settle for looking at other contemporary artists and try and do the same. Inspiration comes from art history, music, movies, poetry and theatre. Spend some time defining your history and vision as an artist and the work you want to offer. Then create! Try every medium you have access to and experiment.
I wish I learned the importance of color and value studies earlier and not see them as another assignment from school. It can save you so much time in the end, and you will enjoy the process of creating a final piece a lot more.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I post all information about upcoming shows and new work via Instagram (@lvctvs), which is my main social media platform. There are many ways to support my work besides owning an original painting. I have high-quality prints for sale both on society6.com/lvctvs or INPRNT.com/lvctvs. Social media support is also highly appreciated! By following, liking, commenting, and sharing my work on Instagram, I expand my reach and can promote myself to a wider audience and possible collectors.
Contact Info:
- Website: lvctvs.com
- Email: contact@lvctvs.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/lvctvs
- Other: https://society6.com/lvctvs
Image Credit:
All images by Ana Sánchez.
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
