María Fernanda Lavera (b.1975-), from Buenos Aires, Argentina, discovered her fascination for art and painting through an aunt who imparted to her a love of sketching and textures.
At first glance, her paintings appear to be wall images, graffiti that draws attention to itself through its bluntness, its hypnotic colors and a unique style, a good street artist needs to stand apart from so many others. By covering every centimeter of the surface with color and with the images of contemporary objects turned into reductions of themselves, becoming more symbols than objects.
The images appear to explode from the depths, releasing outlandish forms of intense colors that, in turn, generate contrasts of surprising expressiveness that seem to have been created by the artist’s unconscious sketches. This is when we glimpse the surreal world manifested by Lavera with an extreme passion and that informs the viewer – the spectator – of a certain state of inner turmoil. Among the recognizable forms are symbols, objects and everyday contours that approach the realm of Pop Art. Her diverse range of themes range from psychedelic cartoons juxtaposed with figures of rabid cats and race cars, to the expression of visibly disturbing events. Watchful eyes and disproportionate and stooping witnesses seem to look on helplessly.
Lavera explains that she likes to let things happen intuitively, without a clear intent: she is fascinated by the effects of color, the play of light and shade that allow her to explore her moods freely. Painting is a visual conversation for her – a moment, a feeling and, especially, an outlet that allows the possibility to express the mystery of life through a symbolic space of complete expressive freedom.
