ARTIST STATEMENT

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Resuscitating history through the lens of my hands and heart is the most spiritual experience I participate in. Every time I create, I place myself in the shoes of the protagonist as I strive in my art to awaken the spirit of that moment, place, and time. I channel the spirit and the spirit responds to become one with my hand.

 

My practice is rooted in the activism voiced through embracing the joy and beauty seen in humanity amidst darker times in American history. I strive to breathe life into the historical past by transforming these images into oil paintings and drawings. My figurative work gives a nod to Realism and Impressionism while sometimes conjuring the palette of the Renaissance period. My techniques draw from the history of art, and I use this in creating pieces underrepresented in art history.

 

Historical photos of family, friends and personal street photos are the source of my imagery and serve as a reminder that beauty is strength and resilience, against all odds. Representation matters and I am committed to creating visions of hope in my art for generations to come. My work displays survival everyday by collective lifts shown through examples of communal love. I shed light on what is good and bring it to the present to help remind us to continue to make progress for the future reiterating that we are more than negative images constantly reflected in the media. In my work my subjects ascend to a higher moral and spiritual level in the face of darkness and exemplify the best of the human spirit. It is my purpose to create art that reminds all people of color to love themselves.

 

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BIO

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Narvell Neves (American, b. 1964) is an emerging artist currently based in Houston Texas. She has always believed art imitates life. Her purpose and calling are to rewrite art history through painting and drawing counter narratives. More recently her 8-year exploration of hand painted ceramics and textiles have also become a part of her artistic journey. These additional initiatives have allowed her to experience art through an additional perspective. Her work speaks to the notion that all people are acceptable as they are despite cultural differences. Her ongoing conviction as an artist is to show value to our collective humanity and recode mental maps people project into the world.