Monica Mendes — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Apr 28

Apr 28 Monica Mendes

Biography

Mônica Mendes is a native of Belo Horizonte. She lives for many years in Miami, where she develops relevant works in the art segment, specializing in oil painting, in the figurative style. Despite having graduated in Public Relations and Physical Education, she has strong artistic roots since childhood. Her love for arts gave rise to the title “master’s degree of Fine Arts in Painting”, in 2016, by the Academy of Art University, in San Francisco.
Awarded for her works in the United States by Focus Brazil for 2 consecutive years and in art shows in Brazil, she regularly participates in several collective exhibitions, fairs, and art shows around the world such as Japan, London, France, Italy, and Brazil. There are more than 24 collective exhibitions and 5 individual exhibitions, one in the United States, and 4 in Brazil. The artist has 11 publications in art magazines and books in Brazil and the United States.
Monica is also a Co-Founder of Atelier Without Borders, a non-profit social organization dedicated to the arts.

Artist Statement

Catopezera: The Sound of The Colors
Catopezera: The Sound of Colors is a collection of 20 oil paintings that commemorate a traditional Brazilian celebration known as “Catope."
“Catope" is a ritual of folkloric expression influenced by African culture that has been in existence in the state of Minas Gerais for over 160 years. It came from the Congada, that is also an old tradition from Minas.
The paintings in the collection show groups of men, women, and children carrying drums and tambourines and wearing white clothes and richly decorated helmets. The paintings show dancers moving and playing through the city streets in praise of the Catholic saints Our Lady of Rosario, Divine Holy Spirit, and St. Benedict. Catopezera, The Sound of Colors strives to keep alive the sounds, colors, and spirit of the Afro-Brazilian influence and history of the Catope and Candomblé. The collection aspires to remind Brazilians of the diverse and multi-cultural roots that bind us together as a united country. Also, throughout my art, I want to show our culture to other parts of the world, so it will always be alive.

What first prompted you to think of becoming an artist?

My passion for the arts started when I was a child, soaking in the life lessons distilled by those who were to become my role models. My grandmother, mother, and aunt were not only art lovers but also dedicated painters. Also, living in Brazil, and Peru - two very culturally rich countries - further influenced my artistic perspectives. However, I only decided to become an artist after a marriage crisis and after my kids were in college. When I decided to go back to school and pursue my master’s degree in fine arts in 2016, at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

What kind of an artist do you ultimately see yourself?

My work is developed in the plastic arts segment, with a specialization in oil painting, in the figurative style, but I also use the acrylic technique and mixed media and resin on cardboard. My art is representational and humanitarian. Prejudices and injustices have always bothered me. I believe that, as an artist, I have social responsibilities and I want to do what I can to contribute to a better world for everyone. People have always been my great inspiration, they are the ones who make the world a better or worse place. Humans beings have enormous potential that when used well does wonders. I like to believe that the human being is essentially good

What are you hoping to communicate to the viewer through your work?

My goal in creating a work of art is to communicate with the people who look at it. It is a dialogue with the observer. It is as if I were writing a story, and the most interesting thing is that the different interpretations only enrich my work, that is, the viewer does not have to guess what I am trying to pass through that work, he has his own interpretation. After all, we are different people, with different stories and the same work can have different meanings. This dialogue between the observer and my work is my main objective. Also, I want my grandkids to be able to live in a better world and I think that the best way for people to contribute to the formation of a better world is through their work, through what we know how to do better. If each one of us can do our part, the world will surely be a fantastic place and we will be moving more quickly towards our evolution as human beings. That is why I paint about our social problems and about my Brazilian culture, which is my root and source of inspiration.

Can you explain the process of creating your work?

I have a habit of working with series and for that, I like to go deeper into my themes and because my art is realistic, I like to take pictures of my subjects. I take a lot of photos and then start the process of selecting these photos. This does not mean that the paintings will be the same as the photos. The photos serve only as a reference and as I paint, I make the decisions that I consider best for each painting. But the longest process takes place in my head, where I discover what I want to paint, what I want to pass on to the observer, and where I idealize and study the project and the theme to be developed. Only after that comes the practical part and finally the painting itself.

What is your favorite part of the creative process?

The part I love the most about the creative process is studying it and getting to know it deeper and, of course, painting about it the way I see it. While I’m painting, I’m also studying and interpreting it over and over to finally pass it to the observer. In a work of art, the elements are shown in a way that communicates meaning beyond the literal. An artist communicates with the observer or audience through a screen. Unlike a book or film, information and messages are limited to a single image. For this communication to happen, the artist uses elements of composition, such as colors, shapes, lights, shadows, spaces, lines and tones, textures, brush strokes, etc. As the observer examines and explores the work of art, the reaction he has had when observing the painting is more and more complete and personal. When reacting, the observer makes several connections, which can be linked to each other's personal experiences, or they can be linked to the connection between an element and/or a gesture and its meanings or also to its context in the story. And that is when the dialogue begins.

Can you give us an insight into current projects and inspiration, or what we can look forward to from you in the near future?

I have many projects in my head and others are already in progress, one of them is the project “Do Jequitinhonha ao Tennesse, that will tell us about the similarities and differences of two different cultures and prove to all how the same we, human beings, are. The project is being done in partnership with the musician Tino Gomes, with whom I made “Catopezera, O Som das Cores” about folklore from the north of Minas. Another project is Out of The Box developed with Atelier Without Borders, a non-profit organization that we manage together with 3 more friends. A project made with cardboard, recyclable materials, and resin. In addition, the project about a Cultural Manifesto that is being developed with artists from different parts of the world. A project that talks about the “new world” that we are all looking forward to after the pandemic passes.

Website www.MonicaMendesArtist.com

Instagram @monicamendesartista

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/www.MonicaMendesArtist