Interview
Shee
Shee (Sheila Gomes) began working in the visual arts a year after graduating from college, having earned a degree in Digital Design. Shee's work has been shown in a variety of exhibitions, collaborations, and projects, including curated works for international books and magazines.
What is your background and what brought you into the art world?
“I think I began my first creations because I was both sensitive and curious as a child. My mother worked at a book publishing company and used to bring home blank notebooks she assembled from leftover production papers for drawing. With this, I started to draw, trying to incorporate my imagination and restlessness into stories and characters. My goal was to create something that didn't exist. I began expressing myself more and more through the visual arts after I graduated from college. When I started studying drawing, I wanted to master the technical aspects, but I learned a great deal more than I expected. Ultimately, I discovered a new universe of possibilities to express myself as an artist when I learned to let go. As a result, I began to explore, study and devote my time to this work every day."
What inspires you the most?
“My primary source of inspiration is art. I discover myself through art, and I communicate with myself and the world through art. As an avid reader, I love music and movies. You can't avoid being inspired by them. In addition, I am extremely curious about life. Science studies about neuroscience and how our brain works interest me, and I end up taking inspiration from these studies. I am fascinated by the mechanism of art, how it is built, where it comes from, what it can do. I get my inspiration from science, people, and art. This inspiration trickles into my work little by little. These absorptions mature into my work. They take shape when I'm working, and some make more sense than others. My inspiration is always a mix of my own reality and inspiration. I have to tell myself what I understand first, with composition, in a way I can express it more clearly.”
What process, materials, and techniques do you use in creating your artwork?
“Acrylics are my preferred medium because of their versatility, the ability to work in layers, and the fast drying time. Also, I enjoy working with collages, and for drawing, I use permanent markers, charcoal, and pencils. Every tool has its nuances and brings different results, both for the process as well as for the final product. I enjoy exploring these differences.”
“In my mind, themes emerge in the midst of the creative process. The work unfolds as if they were revealing themselves. Maybe it's subconscious. Possibly the main theme is the search for an artistic connection both ancestral and contemporary. When it comes to hidden messages, I believe all art speaks differently to each viewer. Every dialogue will have a hidden message depending on the audience's background, so each dialogue will have its own hidden message.”
Which artists have had the greatest influence on you?
“My favourite is Kandinsky because of his vivid colours and shapes as well as the sonority of his work. I also admire Hilma Klint's boldness, genius, and foresight. I applaud Tomie Ohtake's extraordinary artistic expression and constantly evolving creativity. It's impossible to ignore the Brazilian band Os Mutantes for their unique originality, authenticity and creativity. The language within Almodóvar's films that uses colour as the protagonist and Stravinsky, because I see all sorts of shapes in his compositions.”
How would you describe your creative process?
“My creative process can sometimes seem to consume me full time. My focus is always on observing, absorbing, and maturing. My daily habit is to create. The first thing I do when starting a piece is to follow my instincts. I do not sketch beforehand. Usually, I have an intention in mind. The creation of each of my works begins with its own sonority and tone. That is what I respect. Beginnings are usually more intense, and endings are calmer and more detailed.”
“The best description of my work is that of a restless imagination, a living organism in continuous growth, characterized by a nonfigurative and organic visual.”
How do you envision the role of artists in society evolving over time?
“Ultimately, art teaches, reveals, and unites us. Art is perhaps the breath we need in a society that constantly bombards us with information and exhorts us towards excessive consumerism, which pushes us on autopilot of our own lives. Throughout the world, artists are emerging with their unique languages and reflecting on what they have been absorbing from the current era. That is awesome to see. An increasing number of artists have been given a voice by technology, as well as public access to their work. I see this trend continuing to grow. Maybe the challenge is to find these essential breaths within the daily avalanche of information.”
Website: www.shee.com.br
Instagram: @shee_arts
