Artist Statement
My work explores the mysteries of the spirit world through a contemporary feminine lens. I create fantastical landscapes inhabited by deities, angels, and mythical beings that represent highly evolved astral realms and transcend the space and time barriers of the material plane. To convey heightened realities, I create maximalist compositions with a highly saturated palette of bright and fluorescent colors, using a blend of acrylic paint, gouache, colored pencils, crayons, and collaged paper. I am influenced by medieval painting and Christian iconography, particularly the narratives and palettes of Giotto and Fra Angelico, bestiaries, and the illuminated manuscripts, and incorporate symbolism from these traditions into my work while also creating symbols of my own. As a linguist who studied modern and ancient languages, I am fascinated with new and archaic forms of communication as well as the emotional underpinnings of text. I invent esoteric codes and add Greek-sounding or Latin words to the compositions to conjure an aura of mystical sacredness. My paintings access the viewer’s higher consciousness and act as portals through humanity’s highest divine potential.
Bio
Gabriella Mazza is an Italian-born artist, art writer, and linguist based in New York City. Profoundly spiritual, she has pondered the meaning of existence since she was able to form thoughts in her head. Growing up Catholic in a southern Italian family, she soon moved away from the dogmatism of her faith and embraced Eastern spiritual practices, converting to Tibetan Buddhism in 2016. Her work illustrates the beauty and enigmatic allure of the spirit world through various manifestations of the female divine, in an attempt to understand what lies beyond the physical plane.
Although she has taken classes at the New York Academy of Art, SVA, Cooper Union, and the New York School of the Arts, she is mostly self-taught. Solo shows include Ode to the Goddess and Beyond Beauty at the School of Visual Arts’ ContinuED Project Space. She has also exhibited with Satellite Art Show in Miami as well as in New York with Paradice Palase, Chashama, the LIC Arts Open Galleries at the Factory, Departure Studios, and the Greenpoint Gallery. Her work appeared in The Los Angeles Press and The Orenda Arts Journal and is present in private collections in Europe and the United States. Mazza is a member of New York City art platforms Paradice Palase and Visionary Projects. She is currently learning how to weave and tuft to make beautiful tapestries of her paintings.
Website: gabriellamazza.art
Instagram: @gabriellamazza_arte
Interview with Gabriella Mazza
Who and/or what were your influences when you were first starting out vs. now?
I started out by making crayon landscapes and later small women portraits in bright colors. I drew inspiration from Fauvism and Post-Impressionism, especially their gestural brushstrokes and palette.
Later on, as my spiritual identity solidified, my practice became inextricably linked to it. Art became a channel to express divinity and portray realities beyond the mere physical plane. Being from Italy, I grew up equating religion with martyrdom and suffering. As my relationship with the divine became uplifting and blissful, I wanted to create work that could speak of that, while elevating others. Staying true to my roots, I used symbols from medieval art and Christian iconography and created a new sacred visual language, expressing the motherly side of Creation.
What is your favorite thing about the materials you use?
I primarily paint on paper using acrylic, gouache, colored pencils, and crayons. I love the texture and porousness of this material. To me, paper has a quality of immediacy. I feel that I have greater control over texture, color, and composition than if I were to paint on canvas. I am, however, exploring various ways of treating a canvas so that I can create the same effect as paper.
Recently, I have also started to work with textiles. I made my first tufted and embroidered rug in March. The piece is part of a series of altarpieces depicting goddesses and angels, reminiscent of stained glass windows in Catholic churches. Ultimately, I plan on creating immersive experiences with a variety of media, including ceramics, sound, and video art.
What would you say is hidden just underneath the surface of your work? Meaning, what are you revealing to your viewers?
Part of my vision is to make the spiritual world as accessible to viewers as possible. It is important that they get a sense of otherworldliness and sacredness from my work, which is why I use signifiers from medieval art and Christian iconography, such as angels, halos, and Latin text. To depict astral realms, I create maximalist compositions with patterns inspired by contemporary fashion, using a palette of bright and neon colors, which are not present in nature. As a result, I don’t feel that there are any hidden meanings in my work. It is important that the message clearly comes across.
Can you tell us about a turning point in your practice? Was there a moment when things started clicking?
In 2022, I attended ChaNorth, a residency sponsored by Chashama, a non-profit organization based in New York City. The residency took place in a country house in Upstate NY, surrounded by acres of forest. I was assigned a spacious, quaint apartment with a fireplace and a clawfoot bathtub. For the first time in my practice, I had my own studio, a massive, luminous room with two huge desks. It was a dream.
During the one month I spent there, I was able to paint on a larger scale, get clear on my process, and further develop my vision. Working from a preparatory sketch in colored pencil and crayon, I made a 30” x 40” painting on paper depicting two angels lounging on clouds, which I titled Angeli Caeli, Latin for “celestial angels.” During the residency, we also received several studio visits, including one from Rachel Owens, the head of sculpture at SUNY Purchase’s MFA program. My encounter with Rachel was transformative. She encouraged me to apply for the program, which I did, and I am happy to say I will begin in the fall of this year.
In honor of our women’s issue, who are three women and/or gender nonconforming artists that inspire you?
I’ve always been drawn to unconventional women living non-linear lives, maybe because they remind me of myself. As a sufferer of mental illness, I empathize with those who have endured hardships and come out on the other side. I believe that true depth is only achievable through profound experiences of transformation, which are oftentimes painful.
In this vein, my role models are Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Kusama has suffered from mental disorders all her life and engaged in art to cope with her illness, using it as an advantage instead of being crushed by it. Kahlo’s body was ravaged during a bus accident. As a result, she could not have children and suffered tremendous physical pain throughout her existence. Her passion and incredible courage turned her into a veritable force of nature, grabbing life with both hands unapologetically. Gentileschi lived in a male-dominated world in 17th-century Italy and was raped by painter Agostino Tassi, who was a friend of her father’s, yet she was able to affirm herself as an artist. None of them conformed to society’s expectations of how a woman should live.
