PARAMETERS

In Parameters, I have been assembling immersive large scale oil paintings on un-stretched canvas. I consider this series as a psychological space or an invented world where I can unpack my emotions around trauma, anxiety and femme experience. Navigating closeness, intimacy and desire in the midst of anxiousness and fear is at the heart of my practice, I find that using grotesque imagery and horror has been an effective tool for understanding my own experiences and for creating a visual language that makes sense to me. In the midst of COVID -19, I have been looking at this series in a different light. I have been questioning how isolation, rapid social changes and difficulties with mental health connects to the concepts in her work. How do I navigate the desire to be physically close to loved ones when so much is a stake? How is affection and intimacy in relationships impacted during long periods of distance and uncertainty? The mental struggles and questions I have been grappling with during COVID-19 are strange and unfamiliar territory. The surreal nature of these paintings reminds us of the anxieties caused by losing a sense of “normalcy” and control in our day to day, and how it can feel impossible to make sense of the rapid changes and struggles surrounding us.

Anica Neiman

Anica Neiman is an emerging visual artist from Edmonton, Alberta. Anica is currently completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta and her practice is primarily rooted in painting and printmaking. In the past year Anica has been creating a body of work that delves into her anxieties around intimacy and desire. Drawing from the grotesque, Anica has been creating work about the impact trauma can have on perception and behavior. Her practice been greatly influenced and inspired by readings about the grotesque, learning about psychology and different genres of horror.