Bio

Gabrielle Dobrzelewski (b. 1999) is a painter and draughtsman based in Philadelphia, PA. She is a recent graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Her work has been exhibited in Philadelphia and Delaware.  

Positioning herself as the primary subject, Dobrzelewski utilizes her likeness as the means to explore personal narratives and emotionally charged themes. She uses her domestic space as the theatre where the quiet dramas in her works are played out. In heightening the color feeling of her pieces, Dobrzelewski augments the emotional atmosphere of the image and aims to create a world in which the viewer can enter into and meditate upon.  

Statement

My body exists as both center and symbol in my work. Positioned in the intimate domestic space of my residence, the emotionally charged self-portraits I create serve as points of departure for exploring larger topics of interest – grief, desire, anxiety, death, spirituality, femininity, and dreams. Similar to the intimacy of the innerworkings of one’s psyche, utilizing my domestic space serves as the physical manifestation of my inner world.  

The narratives I engage in emerge from the well of my lived experiences. However, as I move through the process of creating a work external associations begin to reveal themselves to me - connecting Self to World. The pieces become a kind of cataloguing of my journey into myself as I experience life, while simultaneously acting as a means for me to become bigger than my own body and experience.  

My likeness enters into the realm of the symbol, becoming an armature for a larger poetry and longing. The tension between specificity and to expand beyond that specificity goes expressed (but ultimately unresolved).  I strive to actively live my questions. The questions and unresolvedness of it all is life giving – to have the questions resolve themselves would result in the need to create these images to cease.  
www.gabrielledart.com
@gabrielled_art

When did your interest in art begin vs. when you began thinking of it as a career/life choice?

As a child I displayed an inborn inclination towards creativity, as a great deal of children do. However, as I've matured as an individual, I accepted the fact that my inclination was actually a deep-seeded need. When I was a teen, the realization dawned on me that visual art was going to be the most fulfilling and life-affirming path for me to follow. Up until that point I enjoyed it, but was also exploring other possible creative paths. For a time, I was convinced I was going to be a writer instead of an artist. Ultimately, even when trying to escape visual art, it always found its way back to me (or rather, me to it) and that was when I gave in to the need and made the decision to follow the call.
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What draws you to your particular subject matter?

My temperament is naturally more inclined towards being introspective, and I think engaging in self-portraiture and depicting narratives that emerge from experiences I have while moving through life is a natural result of that. Accessibility is also a minor component, as I'm always there to work with. However, ultimately, I believe I am drawn to the subject matter because there's a deep-rooted longing to be understood, to connect, and to share a story or emotion that will be meaningful and validating to someone.

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What interest of yours (outside of art) ends up influencing your practice the most?

In regards to interests, I like to cast a wide net when it comes to the creative work I consume -- poetry, music, film, etc. I find regardless of medium I tend to gravitate towards existential and confessional/autobiographical work. Outside of consuming media, a meditative evening walk, a meaningful conversation with a friend, or a strange dream can influence my studio practice as well.    

What is one piece of advice you wish you could give your younger self?

Its more than one piece of advice, but it's all interconnected. Trust in and also forgive yourself. Have faith in the process. Art, like life, is a journey. Love (in its various forms) will carry you.

What would you say is your biggest goal this year?

Admittedly it's just to keep making work. I have other desires, but they're hazy, amorphous apparitions at best. I can feel them dance around in the back of my mind but they're not solidified in any way. I feel like making work is the most realistic and concrete goal I can aim for.