Emilia Arana

Artist Statement

These paintings come into being through a process of layering, destruction and rebuilding, moving the painting surface to a requisite complexity, though maintaining an appearance of ease. It is a process of paintings abandoned, then recovered . . . over periods of weeks or many months, bringing the surface into a balance that breathes resolution and completion.

There have been two important threads in my life. Twenty-five years of classical piano studies transitioned into an affinity for abstract painting. I need to find the lyricism of music in the movement and spirit of the painting. Secondly, as an Arizona native I have a deep connection to the terrain and skies of the West. Without conscious direction, my work is often imbued with a sense of place. The painting process is a type of alchemy; ultimately my intent is to create work that invites multiple interpretations and repeated examination.

Artist Bio

Tucson artist Emilia Arana is an art historian and pianist who had an unexpected encounter with abstract painting eight years ago. Since that time, the practice of painting has become a daily necessity, both as a way of taking risks, and of exploring metaphor and stories.

She was the recipient of several grants, including a Rockefeller Foundation travel grant, while doing research for a master's thesis in colonial Mexican art history. After receiving an M.A. from the University of Arizona in 1997, she taught art history as an adjunct instructor at UA and Pima College. She currently teaches abstract painting at The Drawing Studio in Tucson.

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