FEMPIRE

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Lisa Costiloe: recent works

words + visuals:
lisacostiloe

artist's statement: 
_________________ 

painting gives me the freedom to tell my story in a visual medium wherein i can create beauty out of the ugliness i experienced as a child. particularly, i work through sexual and psychological abuses from my father during childhood, which have shaped my identity and caused me a great deal of anxiety and unhappiness. my painting process allows me to release these harbored emotions and resolve the past. essentially, painting is a healing process for my trauma and, hopefully, that healing energy comes through and can be experienced by you. through the creation of meaningful paintings, i am able to explore new ideas and discover hidden truths about myself. 

my ideas come rapidly so it's important to be able to work fast in order to execute within a short amount of time. i work with acrylic paints and mediums because they dry quickly and i can build up new layers almost immediately. writing in the paint is a way of expressing my thoughts and feelings directly into my work. it is also a textural element that adds depth and volume. i like to work on a large scale to emphasize the intensity of my thoughts and ideas, and i portray female figures because i personally connect with this image and it helps me during the creative process. red represents both strength and pain, and texture, above all, represents the complexity and depth of my history. 

in summary, my work depicts female power, individuality and strength, which all women can connect with and, hopefully, also feel empowered by, just as i do. my current work is exploring the recent death of my mother. loss has become a new reality for me and i am slowly working through this great hole in my heart. as a general theme, loss spans across many aspects of my life, and the loss of my mother has brought all of this to the surface. i have also realized how very precious this life is. 

i am so thankful and appreciative of my gift to paint because it helps me heal myself and allows me to share something meaningful with the community, which brings me joy. 

namaste 
_____________________

to view more of lisa's work, visit: www.lisacostiloe.com

works shown: 
1: extinguished 
2: innocent 
3: abused 
4: devasted 
5: freedom