Peacock (High Anxiety Tea Party) Print

Andrea DiFiore's passion for nature and the environment shines through in her distinctive artwork. Drawing inspiration from various artists, philosophers like Thales, and poets such as Neruda, she has developed a unique artistic voice. Self-taught in Adobe Photoshop, DiFiore embraced digital technology as an additional creative medium, masterfully blending traditional painting techniques with digital artistry. Her recent work incorporates photography, expanding her artistic repertoire even further. Andrea is a native New Yorker who resides in the Lower East Side and lives with her beloved rescue dog, Tuuli. Title of work: High Anxiety Tea Party Several years back, I had an idea to create artwork exploring mental illness. Today, individuals and families are affected by mental illness far more than the public realizes. From depression and anxiety to PTSD, and lacking fundamental coping skills, mental illness can lead to a lifetime of unavoidable complications. As an artist, I wanted to raise awareness about these disorders the only way I knew how: visually. I chose the teacup as my metaphor—both strong and fragile. The single image represents the isolation people experience when suffering from mental illness. The looming background expresses vulnerability and loneliness. The cracks symbolize a person's perceived "defects" or the fracturing that occurs during nervous breakdowns. These represent the baggage many people strive to live with, emphasizing that no one is perfect. People need to feel accepted, not stigmatized. I purchased teacups, broke them, and glued them back together. The gluing represents our healing process—putting ourselves back together. The cups became vessels again, flawed but still able to hold liquid. Eventually, I realized I couldn't bear to break such pretty objects, so I illustrated the cracks digitally instead. I set up each cup and photographed them (with my Canon A7) individually on grey seamless. I have a series of 15 pieces so far and counting. Andrea DiFiore