Perception of Body, 2010 Print

Ana Rolaça Costa, born in 1983 in Silves, is a visual artist known for challenging the conventional paradigms of beauty as they pertain to various “bodies.” Her provocative inquiry unfolds across expansive canvases as well as intimate drawings and collages, ranging from grand to modest scales. Since 2008, Ana Rolaça Costa has been crafting distinctive abstract pieces that depict distorted human or animal figures, rich in color and texture. She skillfully blends conventional painting methods with the dynamic styles of action painting. The pervasive presence of “visceral forms” in her art is paramount, with their inception, evolution, and annihilation propelling the essence of her aesthetic vision. The significance of the gesture is unmistakably highlighted, as the hand becomes the conduit for depicting varying levels of organic texture and material presence. In her paintings, the hand and its fluid motions guide the viewer, dictating the flow, direction, and alignment of what she terms “visceral forms.” Among her art collection, the standout pieces include the “Perception of Body” painting series, crafted from 2008 to 2011, the inventive “With Title” drawings and collages, produced throughout 2010, and the evocative “Púdica Granatum” painting series, which spanned from 2011 to 2017. From 2018 to the present, her artistic endeavors delve into the theme of “Beautiful Rawness,” which posits that there is an intrinsic beauty in the unrefined; this has led to a broader representation of subjects in her portfolio, encompassing plant life, elements of nature, still lifes, and more.