Artist Spotlight: Anastasia Comelli

About me…

I’m a visual storyteller with the ability to convey emotive storylines through experimental and non-narrative methods. I see myself as an artist that can’t sit still, as I often move on from idea to idea. I work in many spaces as an artist, including film, photography, ceramics and illustration. I often find that my work looks at the shifting emotions I face identifying as a queer woman and my art allows me to express my identity without always having to speak about it.

I heard about mindshare…

I came across mindshare through other visual artists in Adelaide. I was instantly engaged when I found out that mindshare creates a strong platform for artist living with mental health. It doesn’t just give artists a chance to share their art but talk about their lived experiences with mental health.

My mental health…

The journey I have had with my sexuality has made me anxious, lost and depressed. I have faced times where I’ve been puzzled by the person that I’m meant to be but have constantly repressed. I kept denying my sexuality which made led me to feel anxious in my every day life. I think this state of anxiety stopped me from being my true self for a while even around friends and still family till this day. I have felt a lot of shame and thought for a while the best way to deal with it was to hide. Through this hiding I started to create art where I felt that I could express myself comfortably.

Creativity in my journey…

My creative practice has always been my outlet even from a young age. Creating art for me feels very natural and is often based on my tuition. I often find it’s the one thing in my life that I don’t have to overthink and can instantly fall into a space where I could create for hours without even noticing. I work in a lot of mediums and find that different mediums speak about myself.

I often find my illustrations and ceramics work references my feeling towards my mental health and provides the opportunity to delve into those feelings and thoughts.

I also find comfort in…

I find comfort though a plethora of objects, people and ideas. I think comfort for me differs depending on what I need in the moment. I often find being around my family provides me with immense comfort when I’m feeling anxious and even if though I don’t vocalize certain aspects of myself, I find it refreshing that they are able to distract me. I’ve always been reminded by family and myself that no matter what ‘everything is going to be okay’ which sounds mundane, but I think it’s important to reflect and remind yourself even in the simplest way.

My community… 

My community is my family, friends and at times the people I work with in a creative space. This community provides comfort to different aspects of my life. The people I work with creatively allows me to get excited about the art I create and share openly about myself.

I want to see…

For me I think it’s about providing people with more diverse spaces especially in Adelaide and creating conversations about mental health that doesn’t always have to be so emotionally taxing.

I think it’s important to look at the different emotional aspects where mental health affects us whether that be sad or humorous. For me I often find it hard to talk about mental health because we often only talk about the pain that comes with it and never ask questions that are outside the box.

How can readers support you and your art?

DM me on Instagram (@Kalopsia_aa) to commission an artwork or email me at anniecomelli@hotmail.com to buy one of my pieces.

Read about other artists spotlighted on mindshare here.