ALYCIA HELBLING | ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

ANNEX STUDIO | MAY 1 – 28, 2024

ARTIST STATEMENT

This upcoming series is about grieving the losses of versions of myself that I have had to let go of to survive. It is about betrayal, harm, and evolving priorities. While rage and anxiety have been familiar responses to trauma, I find grief more challenging to confront. I have been the person I needed to be and would like to become someone more at peace. I am hopeful that acknowledging the pain artistically will help me move through the mud of spicy memories. In using traditional still life items like flowers to express loss, while adding more specified items to my visual narrative, I can connect with my lived experience instead of distancing myself from it. I use a variety of paint, ink and pencil in saturated color to transfer my ideas to paper. I am grateful for the physical and emotional space offered by Salem Art Association to complete this work.