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About me
My name is Iasmin Braga David. And to speak my name is to speak art.
I was really fortunate to be born in a very small town in the Northeast of Brazil, Caetité. Art has always been one of the most important things of my life, thanks to my parents. They always presented to me musicals, classic movies, altogether full on nights of us just dancing and singing together in the tv room. These moments prepared me to be the person I am today and I became an extremely artistic person, that have always loved to draw, to dance (jazz, ballet and hip hop), to sing, to perform, to write (letters and poems), to play instruments (piano, ukulele, violin and guitar), to photograph, record and edit music videos. Growing up inland and also having the opportunity to live abroad in San Diego, California at 15, meeting new cultures, becoming able to speak three different languages (Portuguese, English and Chinese Mandarin) changed my way to view the world. Art takes place in every single thing that I do in my everyday life, and any person who meets me will know that I am a talented and passionate person for all kinds of art.
Ad Infinitum
Ad Infinitum
Collage and paint (gouache paint) on Canvas 300x400mm
You can't control what people do, say, or think about you, neither can you control your feelings, but you can control your thoughts. Trying to control your thoughts is difficult, and this artwork expresses the exact feeling of being overwhelmed, trapping yourself in your own mind while filling it with negative thoughts, ending up hurting yourself and drowning in sorrow as if it is going to last forever.
Beijing Duck
Beijing Duck
Paint (gouache paint) on Canvas 300x400mm
The "Beijing Duck" is a worldwide famous Chinese dish. And this painting was inspired by a picture uploaded by Shen Yue, a Chinese actress, singer and model on her social media. This painting just shows the exquisite ways I like to use to represent the stuff that brings me good and positive feelings. I found those pictures very adorable and happy, so I have done a cute female duck with a funny neck looking apathetically straight to the front. The orange duckbill and sneakers both bring a slight extra attention and colorfulness in the painting, being my favorite artifacts of this artwork.
Numb
Numb
Paint (gouache paint) on Canvas 300x400mm
This painting is connected to "Ad Infinitum", but while Ad Infinitum is a representation of feelings, of emotional suffering, "Numb" represents the physical pain of being overwhelmed with negative thoughts. It is not literally having your body cut in half, but it's the fact of being cut in half and feeling numb, feeling nothing. It is the feeling of being in so much emotional pain that suffering physically wouldn't be a problem. And the background behind the person's body, the dark colors, shows this "nothing", the absence of any more physical pain, as if nothing else matters. Her expressions are not too exaggerated, since her face looks relaxed even while her body is cut in half and full of blood.
The Wind Power
The Wind Power
Paint (gouache paint) on Canvas 300x400mm
In the region of my hometown, Caetité - Bahia, we have a lot of wind farms. When I was little I used to talk a lot with my dad about it since we are very worried and passionate about nature. People that are not used to seeing these wind towers like we do, are not aware of how complicated it could be the process to build these wind farms. Deforestation on the land has to happen in order to make these work, and these lands are sold by their owners (that are usually really simple people that live in small farms on mountains) without knowing the consequences. The consequences that took place the most were not only a lot of trees that had to be removed, but also the forest animals that used to live there all lost their homes and started appearing in people's houses and yards. Animals such as rattlesnakes, jaguars, armadillos, and many more. Some of these people started to regret selling their lands and having a guilty conscience. This painting expresses that doing things just for getting advantage on something (like money) can hurt, bring future remorses, and are not worth it.
Cavalo-de-duas-cabeças
Cavalo-de-duas-cabeças
Digital photography
This photo was taken with my Iphone and it took place in my dad's farm, I photographed the exact moment where the filly stood in front of her mother and swung her horsetail, making it look like it's a single horse with two heads. I edited this picture in black and white to contrast the main theme to the centre, so when the viewer looks at it, he focuses straight to where I want, with no distractions (other objects or matters in the background).
Boa Sorte
Digital photography
These photos were taken with my Iphone and it took place in my great grandfather's farm, "Boa Sorte" (it means "Good luck"). This girl is called Lívia, she is the daughter of the house worker at the farm. An adorable girl that was happily brought to our family as if she was one of our own.
She loves to play with her dolls and to talk with us about what we have been doing. She dreams of being a teacher, and knowing her since she was just a little baby, made me realize that she can do it.
She brings from the inside of me admiration and feelings that I've never felt before. With so little, she has the most sincere and happy smile I have ever seen. I hope the world doesn't ruin her smile and dreams, she is too pure.
Amar.
Digital photography
These photos were taken with a Canon camera. This is my cousin, Téo, he is the most energetic child I have ever met in my life, he is extremely crazy but he is also a sweet person towards his parents and sister.
I gave this title "Amar" because I believe that loving someone dearly has its ups and downs, that's inevitable. And his expressions in these pictures can exactly show how I feel when I'm in love. It is the most amazing and unique feeling ever, but it is not always a bed of roses. When you love someone or something, you have to make some sacrifices to make it work. And these sacrifices are a hundred per cent worth it.
Curatorial
Rationale
Happiness is placed in the simplest things in life. I believe that art is the best getaway and the best way to express your feelings and emotions. It can be through photography, drawings, music, dancing, and many more. Being an HL student for the IB class of Visual Arts made me realize how good I can be in creating art and how I discovered more about myself by manifesting it. From my first sketches to the last final products, I tried to show people that everyone has issues, and that through art you can reveal your weaknesses and overcome your insecurities by just expressing it in your own way, both directly or indirectly.
By presenting my works, I hope to achieve the public's positive receptions to accept and to understand my art, and even admire it if they like it. My life experiences definitely inspired all of my artworks, some inspirations came from a time when I was sick, some from my admiration for nature, others for the brazilian northeast, or for the different cultures around the world.
A strategy that I have used on my artworks to contribute to the meanings I am trying to convey to the audience is just doing what you feel at the moment, photographing what you admire, with the purpose to show people something they have never seen before in their lives.
By seeing my art, I expect the audience to feel hopeful and to become more creative, with no fear of being judged. The understanding of my artworks I will leave up to what each person who sees it feels and interprets uniquely in the way they want to. I selected seven of more than a hundred artworks that I've done throughout my life, and these ones I chose to show to the public are there for a motive.
Thank you for taking the time to visit my hall, I hope you liked it. And hope you see more from me in the future.
Never lose your essence and values, they shape who you are.
Iasmin Braga David
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