Ani Collier & Natacha Monnalisa.
Ani's statement:
I love to dance.
I studied ballet behind the Iron Curtain in Bulgaria and arrived in USA a few months after the Wall came down.
I performed on stage for many years before photography and visual arts captured my interest.
Ballet remains my first love and now i try to dance with my pictures. It is so ethereal, a moment in time.
Exactly what a photograph can be....
Ani Collier is a dancer, choreographer, director and visual artist. She was born in Bulgaria and trained at The State Ballet School in Sofia behind the Iron Curtain before moving to USA after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1990.
Ms Collier has danced principal roles in classical ballets such as ‘The Nutcracker’ and she has directed and choreographed numerous dance theater performances after she retired her pointe shoes.
In Gainesville her photo collages have been exhibited at the Matheson Museum, Thomas Center, Hippodrome Gallery, Hector’s Gallery and others, as well as in New York, Italy and Bulgaria.
Natacha's statement:
biography
Natacha Monnalisa is a contemporary artist born on July 23, 1977, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Early in her childhood Natacha showed a great deal of interest in the arts, entering and winning various contests for children. In 1990, she moved to Miami, Florida, and attended the prestigious magnet school program, Design and Architecture. There she studied and excelled in the field of fashion design. Later she completed her BA and MA degrees with high honors from the University of Miami. The knowledge obtained from her studies, paired with other experiences, such as motherhood, love, travels, adventures, and curiosity for life’s mysteries have been the defining factors behind her artwork. The media of choice are acrylic on canvas, watercolor, color pencil, and ink. However, she often explores other media and crafts, such as wood-burning, hand-painted pottery, and more recently, stained glass. Natacha currently resides in the city of Gainesville, Florida.
artist statement
My style is a unique combination of vibrant colors, clean lines, and what I refer to as “abstract reality,” which is a blend of surrealism, realism, and abstract designs. My drawings are kept simple through a minimal use of lines which are just enough to convey feelings and ideas in a whimsical and fantasy-like manner. My goal is to showcase life as if seen through the eyes of a child, innocent and pure. Dream-like creatures are becoming a recurring theme in recent years, representing the unexpected, yet possible. I aim to explore, reflect, and embrace the experiences, feelings and emotions that make us who we are. I often work with acrylics, watercolors, inks, pencils, pyrography, stained glass, mosaics, or a combination of some or all. Regardless of the media utilized in my pieces, the artwork remains true to my form and style. Overall, art is my ultimate expression and my greatest passion!
