artist statement ༵
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Biography
Gabrielle Roshelli is a nomadic artist currently based in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Gabrielle’s work is as multi - disciplinary as her lifestyle. She works with the mediums of watercolor, oil pastel, clay, inks, and metal, creating a variety of paintings, jewelry, and clay sculptures. Originally from North Carolina, she studied art in the beautiful mountain town of Boone, graduating from Appalachian State University holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts.
Gabrielle’s art is created by translating her emotions and visions into art that people can feel in their bodies, combined with the rich patterned landscapes of ancient cultures that she connects with around the world. She creates her own visual language in her work, desiring to remember what it means to be human. Her work is primarily abstract and symbolic, taking ode to visions found in her dreams, merging them with cultural imagery and natural landscapes from her travels.
Gabrielle has been creating art for her entire life. In the last 4 years, she has traveled and lived in 13 different countries. She has exhibited her work in a variety of unique places, from the coasts of Oaxaca, Mexico, to the vibrant city of Paris, France.
Her work most recently was featured in Paris, France, at Galerie Joseph, in collaboration with ImageNation Paris and assistant curator Simeon Van der Hoeven. She has self - curated 2 of her own solo exhibitions in North Carolina. She was the co - founder of Lilim Studio, an international artist collective in Oaxaca, Mexico. In addition, she participated as an intern and muralist at Womb Artist Residency in Mexico City. In May 2024, she will have her paintings featured in exhibitions for the first time in Belgium, and continues to show her work in various galleries and festival settings internationally.
Artist Statement
In my quest for the unfamiliar, the ancient, the profound — I found myself seeking to continuously feel. My visual imagery is a combination of my own personal language of abstraction, and inspiration from cultures that I visit around the world. I use watercolors and inks, layered with different combinations of colored pencil, chalk and oil pastels, to convey the fluidity of my life and ever - flowing emotions.
In my earlier work, I explored abstraction and automatic painting through watercolor and mixed media. I would prepare my space as if I were to enter into ritual - then, I would begin to create marks and brushstrokes through a series of channeled movements and writings that came through my subconscious. Many of my paintings contained barely legible writings - from my journal or from automatic messages that came about during the creation process. My ceramic sculptures are abstractions of natural forms that prompted others to interact within the space — triggering a practice of self - inquiry for the viewer.
At present day, I have visited 13 different countries across the globe. Through my travels, I seek to connect with the totality of humanity and it’s vast, vibrant, and powerful cultures, as well as patterns, shapes, colors, and textures of natural landscapes. I see nature and humanity as one -- not to be separated, but to be understood in unison. I believe in the preservation of traditional handicrafts, and I seek to merge the energies of the old world with imagery from a new and contemporary visual lens. My hope is that my work inspires others to reflect on where we came from, who we are now, and where we are going. By continuously coming back to these sensations in our body, we can begin to understand the answers to these questions.
Creative Process
In preparation to create new ceramic work and paintings, I begin collecting my own written poems, drawings, doodles, photographs, and notes from my journal and sketchbook. These collections of my memory act as a focal point for beginning to piece together a vision of what I wish to paint or sculpt in clay. I often sketch symbols or imagery I notice amongst textile patterns, from architecture around the planet, or draw shapes that I notice from natural environments. I often have strong visions around personal 'themes' that I wish to work in. I blend the imagery I notice from my outside environment with symbols from the themes of my internal reality. Some of these themes have been about ritual, healing, nature, love, mental health struggles, longing and desire, loneliness, and the pain of separation from our ancestral roots. My intention is to create healing artworks that tell accounts of personal evolution, connection to our emotional bodies, and the stories and colors of cultures around the world.