Andreina Davila

Artist Statement:

BotainINK Series

BotanINK is a series of botanical studies that aim to imprint the memory of a specific moment in the never-ending process of change and evolution. The pieces are an ode to the constant growth and transformations botanic organisms go through daily, as I wonder how their growth relates to the human way of living. BotanINK is a non-judgmental window into a form of life that is wild and steady, finding its way peacefully.

I am drawn to plants and their intrinsic ability to find their way, non-stop, quietly yet steadily, to being strong and fragile at the same time.

My creative process is organic and different every time. These works are not born from an intellectual place, instead often they are an intuitive response to materials. Texture and color play a fundamental role in the preparation of surfaces. Then, each piece has its unique process, coming to life once the ink finds its natural rhythm. As I paint and draw, the detail in the lines and dots, the sizes and widths, grow organically in the painting, representing nature itself.

____

In General, my paintings explore the relationship between life and movement. With Textures, my early work is a consciously naive experimentation with techniques, primarily concerned with color and texture, the harmony I find in new uses of materials. Feeling the need to evolve, my work started incorporating abstract representations of Nature. This time I experimented with typography and text. Reclaimed, an ode to the organic flow and constant transformation of life, the re-use of discarded objects is the central subject. BotanInk is a clean start: dots of ink, limited use of color and texture, illustrating the fragile balance between life and nature. In parallel, I have started working on the concept for a new portrait series: Therefore, I am.

Alive and changing, my work is evolving. Life is a gradual process of change. So paintings (frozen in time) could capture that organic process. That is what I want my art to be.

Growing up in Venezuela, Andreina spent weekends surrounded by nature in her family farm in Mérida. She later earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture. Her interest in urban elements combined with her deep connection to nature nurtured her as an artist who aims to turn her work into graphic expressions of the organic character of nature. 

She eventually moved to the US where she obtained a Master of Science in Design from Arizona State University in 2007. 

Andreina’s studio is at The Compound, an Oakland-based artist-run gallery and workspace. She is a believer in the power of community. She has been an active member and co-owner of City Art Cooperative Gallery in San Francisco, since 2010. She also continues to collaborate with artists of the former West Berkeley-based 23HAM Collective, with whom she worked in the interactive installation, In The Forest (2011).

Since 2007, Andreina has shown her work in numerous venues in the US, most recently participating in the Oakland International Airport Juried Exhibition organizes by the Oakland Museum of California: Spanning the Bay. Currently listed in the Alameda County Arts Commission Registry, Andreina sees public art as an important part of city growth, and hopes in time to evolve her practice to engage the community at a  urban scale.