With body and soul: the paintings of Heloisa

The complexity of feelings is widely depicted by the plastic artist from Carapicuíba, resulting in abstract, colorful, and natural paintings. Her immersion in silence and nature allows her to dive into herself and her inspirations to transform them into concrete memories.

Photo by Juh Almeida

Nature and her own body are essential parts of her creative process. Her healing comes from within and also from her surroundings, which establish meaningful connections and are reflected in her canvases.

The high anchored in the low, the physical enveloping the spiritual, the human in the inhuman, 2021 The desire to throw oneself into the sun's ball and wait for it to tell its story, 2021

We chatted a bit with Heloisa about her processes, yearnings, daydreams, and expectations. Check it out below:

1. You mentioned in interviews that your childhood was peaceful and that you were often around older people. How did this experience influence your observation and artistic practice?

Yes, my childhood was surrounded by my grandparents and their friends, so I have a lot of influence from them nowadays. And with that, the introduction of observation drawing classes at home with a friend of my grandmother who used to come over to spend time with me drawing, a person with a very kind heart because my grandma always tells me that he took a lot of pleasure in teaching me everything he knew, even if in a very innocent way, I think it stayed in my body and later I was able to develop this artistic side better.

Photo by Vinicius Marques

2. When was the moment you realized that art would be your path? How was this transition from public relations to visual arts in college?

Every day I realize this even more; it feels like everything is new because I really love it. There is nothing I love more than painting, and how this is a path or a marriage, the more time I have practiced, the more unforgettable it has become - it truly is a path, learning daily, and there is no destination, no one is ahead of you or behind you, each has their own resources and desires. A uniquely special path: that is what interests me the most.

I only did one semester of public relations before going into art, and I think I realized that I am not made for relations, let alone public ones. It was simple, and a risk I wanted to take; after all, I've always felt very free within myself. I can't explain it, but I trust my choices because despite the financial insecurity I had when choosing arts, I didn't want to regret not being brave enough to become who I truly wanted to be, so I did.

Sometimes I feel it's worth being saved, 2023

3. Your paintings are known for depicting the complexity of identity and experience. Could you tell us more about the process of building the layers of color in your figures?

I have an idea of the palette I will follow based on the elements I will compose on the canvas, so there's always a new palette because I am getting to know the world more and incorporating what I see from it, whether in color, size, or shapes. I think the creative process involves a lot of intimacy with what you want to do; knowing what I want is my construction of a canvas.

4. Who do you see as inspiration? Either in the art world or in general.

I have many artistic inspirations. I never stop studying; I am always discovering new artists and falling in love. The most recent names that have been very pleasing to the eyes are artists like Max Ernst, Mark Bradford, Cecily Brown. And of course, my friends who I always love: Marcela Cantuária, Pegge - who has passed through here -, anyway, many names move me.

Never feign love like fruits with pesticides, 2023 Before finding beauty, I found myself in what I see in you, 2023

5. How does nature and outdoor life influence your creative process? Is there a specific place you consider particularly inspiring?

I think that all places little modified by us humans are always more interesting to me. I like to see the history in the land, to know the differences in vegetation in various different places. Silence - I have always loved boredom; I am a big fan of it. At the same time that I do many things, when I am faced with a horizon, mountains, sea, waterfalls… I know I can enjoy life more. They give me hope.

Photo by Juh Almeida

6. You mentioned the importance of limiting your exposure to social media. How does this affect your artistic practice and overall well-being?

Nowadays I think I am learning to show more of my work. Not limiting myself to this because it's impossible and a bit utopian for me since my friends and family use social media a lot and want to know what I'm doing. So I also use the more old-fashioned ways we used before to show what I am doing or where I am. I don't know, I feel social media is very unsociable, superficial, and I don't like to cling to a reality where my life always exists within a screen. My well-being is tied to my day-to-day life, which is well away from the internet, so living gives me much more satisfaction than always showing or reaffirming who I am to people inside a screen.

Photo by Juh Almeida

7. Your work has a strong connection to the body and movement. How do activities influence the creation of your paintings?

I practice physical activities daily, with weights, without weights, I run, do yoga, etc. I have a strong desire to do even more and expand this hobby of mine. With one or two hours of my day dedicated to these activities, it completely changes my relationship with my daily responsibilities. Especially running - when I have that unique opportunity to be in silence within my own head and simply focus on something that demands a lot from me, despite having only been running for a few years (I think three) -, I feel that I want to improve at it more and more. I also enjoy this world: clothes, playlists, people coming together, this sporting energy does me a lot of good.

8. Your approach to fashion and clothing seems to reflect your artistic work in terms of expression and practicality. How do you see the relationship between your art and your personal style?

I like to dress well and comfortably, and thrift store pieces and sneakers play a big role in that. I don't have a style that I follow, but I build what I see as beautiful also on the canvases, putting my "style" into my work: sometimes very colorful, with one color predominating more or darker shades. I like to float in this world.

The magic happening before a form is put forth for how they will understand what you feel, 2021

9. What are your expectations and dreams for the future of your artistic career? Are there new projects or collaborations that you are excited to share?

I believe my greatest dream would be to paint around the world and exhibit my work there, meet more and more artists and create exhibition projects both inside and outside of Brazil.

Credits: Vini Marques Juh Almeida