The work: Emiliana Portela, Maybe you see what I see, 2021. Mixed media print, 42 x 59.4cm. Courtesy: the artist.
“Like many things we try to understand or find meaning in,” says artist Emiliana Portela, “my artwork goes though many paths to find its true expression. I do not plan it, I do not see its end, I just allow my hand to express my unconsciousness.” In her work Maybe you see what I see, the artist’s use of contrasting imagery displaces the image into an unknown space wherein the viewer can bring their own interpretations. Twisting lines double back on themselves to reveal a face, as if sketched from memory around mismatching eyes, from which mushrooms sprout and leaves grow. The touch of yellow confers a tone of warmth, its countenance one of compassion despite its bleak surroundings. Portela grants the viewer a glimpse inside her mind to decipher at their own pace.