Alison Silva | Lies, Lies | Early 21st Century | 24 in. x 21 in. | $1,800.00

Biography: I'm a self-taught painter. My passion is sharing the metaphors I uncover in life's layers. I've always been drawn to legends, folklore and dreamworlds. My paintings are permanent records of fantastical moments, dreams reflected in the symbolic fountains of inspiration, allegories of philosophical restlessness. These apparitions act as catalysts for self-reflection. In my work I ponder our multifaceted identities as beings of this world. The colors, textures and strokes, which sometimes die just to be reborn, embody words and emotions in my paintings.

My life changed after I was diagnosed with a cavernous malformation of the brain in 2006, which has led to many interesting discoveries and revelations. Seizures and migraines continue to impact my visual ability and perceptions of reality, forcing me to challenge myself more as an artist. My emotions, manifesting both conscious and unconscious states of being, allow me to open my spirit as an instrument of art. For me, painting is like listening to music somewhere deep inside my soul, taking hold of that very personal, internal experience and making it visible to the world. When I paint, I create a visual description of the aural colors and emotional textures of the symptomatic experience that surrounds me like a waking dream.

I have researched the lives and works of fellow artists, writers, composers and spiritual visionaries who suffered from similar neurological diseases. Realizing how many others I'm connected to, as if linked by a common synapse, I no longer feel I'm alone... and I wish to share this awareness, empowerment and hope through my art.