Anna Sheriakova

My work explores a sense of overwhelm and how it collides with the realm of beauty. I am interested in the ways these complex matters affect the viewer as a duo and the readings arising from such confrontation. 

My practice is an ongoing investigation of my subconscious. Coming out of an autobiographical encounter, my artworks translate my personal experience of an obstructive presence into a visual format. My work is driven by the need to portray a sense of gorgeousness and unpleasant awkwardness I had observed in my dreams. 

Improvisation is fundamental to the making of my work. The drawing process is similar to calligraphic writing, but the printing is more extemporaneous and out of my control to some degree. The prints convey the performative, almost ritualistic aspect of the making; they are about my behavior as an artist. 

As I build up layers, a sense of reverberating movement and energy emerges within the pattern. It seems to pulse with appearance and dissolve at the same time. The printed sections are reproductions of each other, yet subtle variations occur. Commenting on the idea of difference, these pieces offer a discovery to the patient viewer, who may not at first notice the elusive shifts. The series operates as a constant reflection of itself, but the degrees of symmetry and order vary from piece to piece.

Within my works there exist different layers and types of images at the same point in time; they bring you into the present, encouraging sensuous contemplation. There is a feeling that they are snapshots of something reproduced in the moment. The work sits within an abstract domain, yet its reflective nature alludes to objects found in the physical world. It encourages interpretation or decipherment on both the micro and macro levels, creating a unique dialogue with the viewer.