ARTIST STATEMENT: 

I am curious about the tension that stems from being Canadian born to Salvadoran parents and the consequential cultural juggling. I built a tentative relationship with both cultures as I grew up but have always lacked full ownership of either. I reside in a liminal space between the two in which I feel like I am constantly faced with varied - and often opposing - sets of values, beliefs, languages and social practices. I am either “too much” Latina or “too much” Canadian, meanwhile in other instances I’m not Latina enough or Canadian enough.

The repeated negations of my identity have resulted in feelings of displacement and has led to the formation of a hybrid identity. In this body of work, I want to highlight how the liminal space between the real world and the digital world, just like the liminal space between two cultures, results in new realities and artifacts.

How does dissolving distinction between digital and physical artworks relate to dissolving distinctions between two cultures?

I refashion and repurpose handmade paintings and collages into digital forms. The colours and imagery from my handmade work result in digital patterns that resemble weavings and textiles of Central America. 

Every layer of work depends on one another and aims to reform and improve with each cycle. I then examine these patterns for imagery and iconography that I can again refashion and repurpose into a finished work. Through the resulting media hybrids, I attempt to gain a better understanding of the belief systems and life experiences that inform who I am.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY:

Natalie Melara (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Mohkinstsis/Calgary, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Alberta University of the Arts; and has exhibited with the Art Gallery of Alberta, EMMEDIA, Contemporary Calgary, and Stride Gallery. 

Melara is the recipient of multiple awards including the New Zones Gallery of Contemporary Art Scholarship and the Joane Cardinal-Schubert Memorial Scholarship. She has also obtained technical training in fashion design (Olds College, Canada) and architectural design (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Canada) which informs the curiosity, development and exploration of her practice. Her artwork involves cultural investigation, feelings of displacement, and the formation of a hybrid identity.

nataliemelara.com
Instagram: @_miss_naty_