Romance and Melancholy: Exploring the Human Condition with Anna Mikhaela Reyes
Anna Mikhaela Reyes is a contemporary conceptual artist based in Denton, Texas. After receiving her BFA in Drawing and Painting from Kennesaw State University, Anna focused her practice on the use of charcoal, watercolor, chalk pastel, and colored pencil to elevate the romanticism of botany and the human figure. Her work has been exhibited and awarded in various galleries in Denton County, including the Greater Denton Arts Council and the Lewisville Grand Theater, where she is an active member of the Visual Art League of Lewisville. More recently, her works garnered the New Futures Award for Fall 2023, through which she exhibited at The Other Art Fair Dallas (October 2023), sponsored by Saatchi Art.
Artist Statement
I am inspired by nature, the human figure, and the human condition. My work explores themes in psychology (trauma, abuse, and mental health), the flux of personal vulnerabilities, and the elusiveness of interpersonal connection. Common to my work are obscure symbolism and the intertwining elements of romance and melancholy—an acceptance that the most beautiful things in life are often bittersweet. As a pensive person, the goal of my work is to share my concepts and draw moments of connection with those who empathize with them.
What inspired you to focus on botany and the human figure in your artwork?
In my work, botany acts as a gentle guide, teaching us more about life and ourselves than other people do. Themes such as acceptance of growth and death, patience in blooming, and the varying needs and nuances that make up each individual are explored. The human body, on the other hand, serves as a primal communicator of the human experience. Even the subtlest expressions can be revealed through something as simple as the hands and feet, which have the capacity to speak volumes about one’s state of mind and intrapersonal journey, sometimes more than facial features or verbal responses.
How do themes of psychology and mental health influence your creative process?
For me, creating is a way to process my ideas and state of mind by connecting them to associated imagery. For instance, “Repression” is a piece about the chronic withholding of anger, resulting in a spontaneous, violent rupture of emotions. At the time of its creation, I was in an environment that fostered ignorance and micro-aggressions, which led to a deep-seated, bottled-up frustration within me. Instead of exploding in an emotional tirade, I chose to express this ingrained animosity visually. This not only communicated that anger is a normal human emotion but also that it must be expressed in a healthy and productive way before it escalates into full-blown rage.
Can you share the significance of using charcoal, watercolor, chalk pastel, and colored pencil in your work?
I depict the human body in black charcoal to reflect the “grey area” of the human emotional spectrum and experiences. In contrast, the colored botanical elements illustrated in watercolor, chalk pastel, and colored pencil symbolize the vibrant lessons plants can teach humans about themselves.
How do you balance elements of romance and melancholy in your pieces?
I believe these two elements naturally coexist and feed off each other, as some of the most beautiful and wholesome moments in life are bittersweet. While my illustrations may be visually romantic, their concepts and messages are often melancholic, portraying the juxtaposing elements of life and intrapersonal exploration (consider: a lonely road to success, a tender goodbye, or the state of being alone but not feeling lonely).
What message do you hope to convey about personal vulnerabilities and interpersonal connections?
My goal is to express the importance of finding strength in vulnerability and to highlight that genuine connections with others are only possible when one is authentic with themselves. Knowing and accepting yourself, and having the courage to share that true sense of self, is the key to building honest, wholesome relationships with others.
How has winning the New Futures Award and exhibiting at The Other Art Fair Dallas impacted your career?
Exhibiting at The Other Art Fair Dallas not only gave me the opportunity to be among some of the most passionate, talented, and exciting artists in the industry, but it also allowed me to live out the true purpose of my work: to create synergy and genuine connections with others. Hearing stories from others about their lived experiences and how they connected to the concepts in my pieces showed me that humans are more alike and interconnected than we often realize. This unforgettable experience has driven me to continue creating authentic work and seek other humanitarian ways to engage with both the arts and people.
What role does symbolism play in your artwork, and how do you decide what symbols to incorporate?
I use symbolism in my renderings of both botanical elements and the human body. Each plant symbolizes a concept or lived experience, tied to the nuances of each anatomical pose. For instance, the thorned roses in “Acceptance” represent the most beautiful and harrowing qualities that each person possesses. The passive pose of the hand, as roses painfully blossom from deep within, symbolizes the unconditional love and acknowledgment of one’s own faults and strengths.