Interviews
Interviews
Annaleah Gregoire
Annaleah Gregoire is a painter and sculptor from Massachusetts with B.F.A. in sculpture from California College of the Arts. Her design work has been seen on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. She also has a small t-shirt business, Annaleah Moon Studios, which turns fine art illustrations into comfortable streetwear. Gregoire is further investigating material in an effort to accommodate the shifting circumstances of the pandemic.
Annaleah Gregoire is a painter and sculptor from Massachusetts with B.F.A. in sculpture from California College of the Arts. Her design work has been seen on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. She also has a small t-shirt business, Annaleah Moon Studios, which turns fine art illustrations into comfortable streetwear. Gregoire is further investigating material in an effort to accommodate the shifting circumstances of the pandemic.
Artist: Annaleah Gregoire
Based in USA
Instagram: @annaleah.moon.studios
Culturally features:
"Head and Sentiment: Dreams of an Artist", May 29-July 30 2021, Milostka Center for Exhibitions
What do you aim to say by the themes in your work?
The themes in my work aim to promote taking time for self-reflection and self-healing.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Through dissection and amputation, I have built a visual language with art and science revolving around the visible and invisible wounds of trauma. I use medical and scientific images such as x-rays, as well as historical and contemporary documents, to inform my depictions of the internal form.
How would you describe your creative process?
Every once in a while, ideas come to me out of seemingly nowhere, and I will jot that idea on a piece of paper until I have the time and materials for it. Usually, though, my creative process is a combination of introspection and elaborate research. Often my work responds to my own lived experiences and I will then further investigate the history and conversations surrounding those with similar experiences. Next I will create a rendered and calculated drawing based on the initial sketch, which becomes my guide to a project in any medium.
What is integral to your work as an artist?
The fundamental components of my work are self-expression, conversation, and healing. These topics sometimes bring up uncomfortable or disturbing thoughts in one’s mind. When we are confronted with images and experiences that defy our aesthetic conventions, we have been culturally conditioned to label this as grotesque. It seems the more violent one’s repulsion, the more apparent it is that the individual has unresolved issues regarding the subject at hand.
Do you have any experiences that have impacted your art?
As someone who struggles with chronic migraines, I sometimes find myself forcing smiles and refraining from visually expressing the pounding in my head. Some of my work explores how people perceive me based on my appearance and how that differentiates from what I’m experiencing internally. The x-ray serves as a lense for this internal vision. I’ve also lost many close friends in the past year, so my process has become both a method for me to mourn as well as to heal. By touching on my own vulnerabilities, I can open a door for conversations around discomfort and the process of healing.
How would you describe your creative process?
My advice would be to make from the soul instead of worrying about whether or not the piece will sell before it’s even finished. Make room for new adventures, they may open doors that you didn’t know existed. And last, please be kind to yourself!
