Reflejo del Alma
Visiones de Otro Mundo // Otherworldly Visions by Ana Benavides
An interview with London-based Mexican painter Ana Benavides. Using texture, gesture, and colour, Benavides creates a sensory experience that goes beyond the visual. Scroll down for more ❤
Addy: Ana, thank you so much for joining me! What is your earliest memory of creating art?
Ana: I always felt like there wasn't a place for me in the creative world. I was never the girl who made perfect portraits or stayed inside the lines. I was actually the opposite – the chaotic one, where every time I coloured, it went everywhere. So, I always thought I wasn't artistic. Then, when I was 17, I met this guy who made these gorgeous portraits, and out of curiosity, I asked where he took classes. He told me about an art space near my house back in Mexico. I went, and that's where my life completely changed.
I remember watching my mom paint when I was little, and just being captivated by all the different colours. So, when I started these classes, I discovered I could experiment, use different materials and textures. There wasn't a right or wrong way to paint. Of course, you need structure and the basics of art, absolutely, but there was so much more that you could do. That's when I thought, “Okay, I love this." I guess that's when my creative spark came through.
Addy: Imperfections are part of artistic expression, I love that you discovered that you don't have to make the perfect portrait to be an artist.
Ana: Completely, 100%.
Corrientes del Surgir / Corrientes of Becoming by Ana Benavides
Addy: Very cool. You mentioned that your mum paints as well, is she an abstract painter too?
Ana: My mom painted when I was little, as a hobby, it was not something she did for work or anything. It’s quite random, I don't have any painters in my family. My dad studied to be an engineer, and he really loves architecture. My mom is an accountant, but she's always been really obsessed with interior design. My grandmother did a lot of textiles, she made her own dresses and clothes. So I think that there was always an eye for beauty and objects in general.
Addy: Yes, it sounds like there's always been an appreciation of art at home, which is really cool.
Ana: Yes, 100%.
Addy: So you were born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, where you were surrounded by biodiversity. Would you say that this influenced your practice?
Ana: Definitely. I always say that there are three main elements of my work: texture, gesture, and colour. Since I was little, I remember going to the market with my mom and just seeing vegetables, fruits, all of my surroundings were full of pigment and saturation of colour. Monterrey is known as the city of mountains. It is surrounded by really, really big mountains. So I think that my appreciation of nature comes from the different plants and flowers of the mountains. My appreciation also comes from the soil and the textures of the land, it is something that I have experienced since I was little. It definitely influences my art and my practice.
Addy: That's really cool. Did you spend a lot of time walking around and seeing everything?
Ana: Definitely. We also have so many celebrations, like Day of the Dead, which I think I took for granted when I was there. You're surrounded by all of this colour wherever you go, there's inspiration everywhere. In that sense, it's really chaotic, it's very different from here, the country really has its own spirit. I feel that being born and raised in Mexico and experiencing the culture over the years was really inspiring, it was just something that was in my subconscious. Even going for a hike or just walking around the streets, all of that information went into me, in a way.
Addy: Do you miss Mexico a lot?
Ana: It's very weird because, of course, I miss my family and friends, but I’ve also made London my home. So now it feels like I have two different homes.
Addy: A home away from home, I love that. The paintings in your solo show, “Breakthrough”, at Hope 93 gallery explored memory, emotion and identity. What inspired this body of work?
Ana: Like I said, there are three main elements of my work, gesture, texture, and colour. Some of the paintings in the show look like explosions, and for the most part, you can see that my work is really energetic. I come from a very Catholic, conservative background where sexuality is taboo, and women have certain stereotypes, so these explosions of energy are trying to get out of those imposed beliefs, trying to find a connection with sexuality, with my body. My work is all about performance, it's a dance. I'm gonna sound crazy but, each brush stroke is responding to me, it's this back and forth conversation that I'm having with the canvas. At the same time, I have my headphones on and I’m fully immersed in this intuitive practice.
Tormenta Interior / Inner Storm by Ana Benavides
I always think about it this way, sometimes you listen to a song and it takes you back to a certain memory. Sometimes it's a memory that you just want to relive forever and it just changes your mood. Then there are other times when you hear a song that you don't like listening to, because it takes you back to a grieving situation. I feel that my paintings are the same way. Sometimes I paint, and I like the feelings and emotions, so I put them out there to share them with the world, knowing we’re all going to experience them in different ways.
I also feel it's really important to embrace all of those emotions that we don't want to feel, and we just want to put away. I want to shed some light on them, because I believe that they're also beautiful. I feel that nowadays we live in a world where everything is external. We barely stop and really go within. What are we feeling? What is our intuition saying? So I guess my work is an invitation for people to just stop for a bit and go within.
Reflejo del Alma // Reflection of the Soul by Ana Benavides
I'm going to experience my paintings differently from someone else because we come from different contexts, different families, etc. Maybe for them, green means something, and for me, green means another thing. That's also the beauty of it, that we're going to experience it in different ways. And that's why I love abstraction.
Addy: Totally. I feel like within abstraction, there are endless possibilities and avenues. Even something that you feel when you see a painting for the first time, could completely change when you return to it a year later.
Ana: Yeah.
Addy: What draws you to abstraction as a mode of expression?
Ana: I think that I’ve always wanted to express myself, and that painting is the perfect place for it. There's just so much freedom and you can use your body, you can use colour. I feel that abstraction gives you this openness where you can really get things out of your system. It just feels like home, like everything is okay. There are no rules, no regulations. When I paint, I can fully let go of the energy, emotions, and feelings that are in me. Abstraction gives me the freedom and the openness to express myself.
Addy: You have such a deep connection to painting, which is so special. Can you describe your creative process?
Ana: So first of all, I do sketches on paper. I use soft pastels, oil pastels, or even pen sometimes. The sketches help me to think about composition and colour. I always have like, four colours in my mind before I start painting. These colours can come to me in the middle of the day, while I'm taking a shower, or just by seeing something random. Once I've created my sketch, I feel the need to put it away. I don't want to bring it back to the painting because it kind of restricts me, making me feel like I have to copy the sketch. So I'm like, “No, I've done it. It's in my subconscious."
My creative process has two distinct phases. Once the sketching is complete, I shift focus. When I'm with the painting, I approach it as a fresh start. I then immerse myself in music, picking songs based on the feeling or emotion that I want to put out there. My solo show features some of my Post-it notes, where I write down what I'm feeling or simply transfer thoughts from my head to my hand. They also serve as an inspiration and a guide for me during the painting process.
Afterglow by Ana Benavides
As I mentioned, I start painting with my palette of four colours. Initially, I just focus on movement, not thinking about anything specific, simply fully immersed in the music. After I've downloaded all that energy, I then shift to considering texture and composition. I ask myself: “Does this make sense? Is it harmonious?” With my four colours, I might then think about adding more contrast, or perhaps a new colour, or adjusting the light, shadows, or darkness. That's when the thought process begins.
It all starts very intuitively for me, and honestly, that pretty much continues throughout the process. It's just constant layering, especially since I love texture: put down a layer, wait, another layer, wait. And while I'm doing all that waiting, I'll often start a new painting. I just have so much energy – or maybe it's impatience, I'm not sure which – so I'm always working on a few pieces at once. But I really feel each work has its own soul and spirit. So, I try to keep what I'm feeling for one painting separate from what I'm trying to say with a new one.
Addy: What kind of music do you listen to when you paint?
Ana: People ask me this all the time, and I say everything. Sometimes I just want to hear classical music, and it's totally valid. Sometimes I want to hear Latin music, like reggaeton, also valid. Then sometimes I just want to listen to pop, Sabrina Carpenter vibes. It's also fine. It really depends on the day and what I'm feeling in that moment.
If I'm craving my home a lot, for example, during the cold months of January and February when I don't see much nature, it's really evident in my work. The pieces are very green or clearly try to incorporate nature. During those months, I'm fully immersed in Mexican music. But I think it really changes depending on my mood, the feeling, and the day.
Addy: It’s so nice that you paint with music, I love Sabrina Carpenter 💛 What's the most paintings you've worked on at the same time?
Ana: Four.
Addy: Wow, that's a lot! Some artists might sit and work on one painting for like, five months before they start another. I can just picture you with your headphones on, moving between four different canvases.
Ana: I love this process, it perfectly matches the energy I have. I feel like if I focused on just one painting, I'd go crazy. You have to wait for layers to dry, otherwise, everything just turns brown. So, the fact that I’m working on other works at the same time allows me to give each work the patience it needs to dry properly.
Addy: That’s great. Your paintings feature rich texture and layered chromatic palettes. Is there any particular significance behind this?
Ana: I think there are two main reasons. The first is, I'm deeply inspired by Kandinsky's idea that each colour holds a spiritual meaning. Visually, colour creates a feeling, but I wanted to take that to the next level. By adding texture and using materials like sand, marble, powder, and wax, I’m able to also engage the other senses; you feel an urge to scratch, bite, or touch the artwork. So this allows what I'm portraying in the work to communicate even more effectively.
Sueños Lúcidos// Lucid dreams by Ana Benavides
On the other hand, as I mentioned, I come from a city of mountains where land is so important. I have memories of hiking and feeling the soil. Bringing that texture back into my work is a way of honouring my heritage. I'm so proud to be Mexican and proud of where I'm from, so bringing a small piece of that into my art is very symbolic. So these are the two main reasons.
Addy: Texture adds so much to the compositions. I really like the way you incorporate your heritage into your work.
Ana: That’s why all of the names are in Spanish and English, I always want to bring that with me.
Addy: Do you have a preference?
Ana: I think I prefer Spanish because it’s my native language. The vocabulary is more passionate, it also feels broader. When you're trying to express a feeling or an emotion, there are more words to use for that compared to English. I also like English because it's something that everybody understands. At the end of the day, I want people to understand my work. So yeah, I think both are good.
Addy: I also like the Spanish versions of the titles, they feel very poetic in a way.
Ana: Thank you.
Addy: Where do you find inspiration?
Ana: My inspiration comes from living life. While I love going to museums and seeing exhibitions, I choose not to bring that into my practice. For me, authenticity comes from within. I'm not suggesting others aren't authentic; it's just that my inspiration stems from the experience of life itself. It comes from the emotions I feel as a 28-year-old—feelings a lot of people might share at this age, like the sense of feeling lost or uncertain about the future. All of this is happening inside of me.
El sonido de las olas // The sound of Waves by Ana Benavides
I also find inspiration in everyday life, for instance, if I meet someone and we have a conversation, I try to capture that in writing. Even simple observations, like seeing a flower with a beautiful colour while walking. My inspiration stems from all my experiences: music, living life, conversations with friends, and through introspection.
Addy: Your interactions with people and places sound very natural, which aligns with the intuitive nature of your practice. That makes total sense. Your painterly approach can be described as a dialogue between the inner self and the canvas. What is the essence of that dialogue for you?
Ana: The dialogue focuses on the emotions and feelings within me, both positive and negative. It's about bringing them to the surface, understanding them, and then finding ways to express them through art. If I have intrusive thoughts or anxious feelings I'd rather push away, I pull them forward instead, no matter how uncomfortable. I then try to portray and express these through my art. So, my inner dialogue is processing my current feelings and transforming them into an artwork.
Addy: Would you say that you find it easier to paint the feelings that are, I guess, more positive? Like, if you're feeling really happy, vs, I don't know, going through a breakup or feeling homesick.
Ana: Yes, it's easier; but I find that working with the most difficult emotions brings the most satisfaction. It's so simple to portray happiness. However, when you confront the feelings you'd rather avoid, there's so much resistance, and you still find a way to express and process them, it just feels so nice. I find that the satisfaction of that is way more than with the happy emotions. That's why I’m trying to embrace the chaos, even if it feels really difficult. There’s just so much beauty to it and satisfaction in that process.
Addy: Embracing the chaos, beautiful.
Ana: Thank you.
Addy: What do you hope stays with a viewer when they see your work for the first time?
Pensamientos Enredados // Tangled Thoughts by Ana Benavides
Ana: I always think about this. If my work can make just one person stop and truly feel something, then I consider my job done. I personally experience emotions very intensely, which I've always seen as both a blessing and a curse. It can be so draining and overwhelming. I've also realised it's a blessing because it allows me to create strong feelings in others, and that's really beautiful. So, if even one person can connect with my work and truly open themselves to the experience, then where my work is done.
Addy: That's very powerful. So at the end of interviews, I like to do something called a rapid fire round 🔥 they’re very quick, easy questions. Here we go! Minimalism or maximalism?
Clinging by Ana Benavides
Ana: Maximalism. I can never say minimalism, honestly.
Addy: Bold colours or muted tones?
Ana: Bold colours.
Addy: Texture or smooth surface?
Ana: Texture.
Addy: Coffee or tea?
Ana: Matcha.
Addy: I love that. Ocean or forest?
Ana: This is a very hard one. Ocean.
Addy: Film or digital?
Ana: Film.
Addy: Podcast or audiobook?
Ana: Podcast.
Addy: Velvet or silk?
Ana: Velvet.
Addy: Yes <3 City or countryside?
Ana: Ah, both! But city.
Addy: The last song you listened to?
Ana: Bad Bunny, Baile Inolvidable, which is “unforgettable dance” in English.
Addy: Have you seen his Calvin Klein ad?
Ana: Of course!
Addy: Obsessed. I’m going to go and listen to this song.
Ana: Please do, it's incredible.
Addy: Thank you so much, Ana! This was so much fun.
Ana: Thank you so much for inviting me, I feel really grateful.
Addy: Of course, me too! <3
For more from the wonderful Ana, check out her website here!