Paloma, Ana Teodorescu

Inspired by a documentary on flamenco dance, Ana Teodorescu turned to her painting and ceramic practice to create the artwork Paloma. As a multidisciplinary artist, Teodorescu applied ceramic techniques in this work, which allowed her to exert more control over the final iteration of Paloma The result is an artwork that is both vivid and lively through the marriage of formal and symbolic elements.

In this work, Teodorescu depicts flamenco, a Spanish dance tradition, as a channel through which one can look inward and ultimately create a dynamic, outward expression. “At the core of my artistic practice is the idea of fulfilment and finding your own destiny.” In Teodorescu’s work, dance and its subjects represent the ultimate joys of artistic process, where individual expression is equally as imperative as communication and interaction with others. The result is a communion and mediation with one’s internal and external self.

Paloma is a visual collage of these sentiments; a flamenco dancer’s figure is framed by a second, larger portrait. Teodorescu incorporates imagery of a dove to symbolize a kind of purity, and other elements such as contrasting shades of red against black, and a guitar to reference flamenco dance. The dancer represents the culmination of an artistic practice; one that doesn’t illustrate the myriad struggles an artist may have to endure in their path of creation. In addition to wanting to depict a fiery, internal passion, Teodorescu maintains a desire to present an uplifting sense of positivity and hopefulness in her artworks: “[t]here is a beauty in the raw energy of creation. Passion can be stronger than pain.”