Beyond Traditional Art

Cecilia Acevedo's art goes beyond mere creation. She aims to provide a complete human experience by engaging multiple senses. Prepare to be immersed in a world where art becomes a gateway to the depths of human emotions.

1. Briefly describe the work you do.

My work is based on enabling people to once again experience and become aware of something as noble as human emotion. This is a sensation that many have lost throughout their lives or simply cannot recognize in their bodies and psyche, which has contributed to the deteriorating health of society. Human emotion is a subtle and sublime language that has been present since our ancestors and will continue in our DNA for future generations. This language is immensely diverse, interesting to experience, and, above all, to observe. It is a language that makes us human and is crucial in our daily social interaction. To achieve this, I research daily on human emotion, neuroscience, and how all of this manifests in the body through the movement of human flesh. I also explore how I can influence the psychology and bodies of the viewers through the experience of my artworks. That's why I'm currently working on creating artworks that engage an increasing number of senses to develop immersive pieces that move through multiple sensory channels, providing a unique and groundbreaking experience in art appreciation.

2. What or who inspires your work and how has that influenced both your work and your identity as an artist?

One of the facets of my life that has had the most influence on my approach to art is my childhood, marked by the emotional deprivation I had to endure for survival. Along with the experiences gained through my profession, where I observed, touched, and felt patients with various physical and mental issues, it honed my clinical eye and allowed me to identify both genuine and false emotions. All of this provided me with a tremendous source of inspiration to create artworks that do not go unnoticed, artworks that stir and disquiet viewers with simple concepts like emotions and their manifestation on human flesh. Creating artworks in the same way I used to work as a therapist to influence the bodies of patients, in this case, the viewers, is what drives me to continue researching how to create pieces that engage as many senses as possible. The goal is to deliver an experience like no other when facing a work of art. Achieving the transition of art from an object, a piece, or an installation to an "experience" is a significant challenge that motivates me to create every day in my studio. This is a defining characteristic that I believe makes me a unique artist, characterized by a profound desire to do things differently and always push the boundaries of the known.

3. As you reflect on your artistic journey, could you describe the evolution of your identity as an artist and how it has exceeded your initial expectations?

At the beginning of my journey, I didn't have an artist's identity; in fact, I didn't even consider myself an artist, and my sense of identity was virtually non-existent. By the time I reached my 30s, I realized I hadn't achieved much in my life, mainly because I had been following the societal expectations imposed by my family. This situation plunged me into deep depression and a feeling of emptiness. It was at this point that my husband intervened and posed a fundamental question that no one had asked me before, not even myself: "What do you enjoy doing?" This question was terrifying for me since I didn't have a clear answer. However, it caused a profound shake within my being and marked the beginning of my transformation. I discovered my passion for knitting, an activity that was merely considered a hobby in my society. Nevertheless, I decided to take this practice to new extremes and turned it into a canvas where I could experiment, express, and release all the human emotions I had repressed. From that sense of emptiness, a process of creation began, leading me on a quest to find my own identity and what truly defines me as an individual. This journey marked the birth of a different kind of artist, shaped by tools and perspectives different from conventional art. This journey exceeded all my initial expectations, as it allowed me to uncover my authentic creative DNA, my unique style, and my personal imprint. I have become an artist with a fierce ambition to create works that connect with the audience on a visceral level and, in the future, explore the creation of multisensory and immersive art experiences with the assistance of science.

4. How do you view the significance of your contribution to contemporary art in a world that is increasingly shaped by technology?

Regarding the importance of my contribution to contemporary art in an increasingly technology-driven world, I would like to begin by emphasizing the nature of my technique. My technique is inherently challenging for a machine to replicate, as it does not follow any predefined pattern. It involves a chaotic array of stitches that intertwine in seemingly illogical ways, creating faces in countless directions with varying fiber tensions and diverse textures created through different crochet techniques. Additionally, my experience in working with patients, observing their expressions, and studying human emotions has been instrumental in refining both my technique and the way I present my artworks. In essence, I describe my work as a bridge to connect with the essence of people and what makes us human. This is something that, without a doubt, technology or artificial intelligence will never fully grasp, as they lack the capacity to feel and experience human emotions.

5. How do you see the future of your art and the art world evolving in the coming years?

My view on the future evolution of my art and the art world in the coming years is as follows: I see a continuous advancement in technology and artificial intelligence as we strive for a kind of art that aims for perfection. However, in this pursuit of perfection, we often forget that sublime beauty can be found in imperfection. I feel that there will come a point where we look back to our artistic beginnings. That's why my passion is focused on the ancestral, both in terms of technique and the universal language, focusing on what makes us human. My goal is for a work of art to truly resonate and evoke emotions we thought were forgotten. Consequently, the evolution of my art is directed towards this more primitive core. I aim to create artworks that impact the viewer's senses, and to achieve this, I blend contemporary and avant-garde concepts with a more ancestral perspective. This fusion is fascinating and eccentric, motivating me to continue exploring and pushing the boundaries between both in search of new creative frontiers.

6. Get inspired!

INSTAGRAM: @ceciliartist
WEBSITE: ceciliartist.com
REPRESENTED BY: São Rafael Galleries (Portugal)