Emma Lettera

Artist Statement

Sometimes words fail to express what we are feeling. All of our experiences are subjective and personal, and when experiencing emotions or events considered abnormal, we can be left with a deep unsettling sense of misunderstanding, isolation, and invisibility. Well versed in these frustrations in part to an adult ADHD diagnosis, Emma Lettera uses her art as a visual interpreter to translate her feelings, thoughts, and mental world born from escapism into a message others might find relatable through more palpable depictions. Pushing away anxieties on exposing parts of herself she previously found contemptible, Lettera attempts to bridge a gap in communication with her candor in hopes to engage an open dialogue on mental health and grow a more empathetic community that diminishes the burden of isolation others might feel in their own frustrations to communicate.

Lettera enjoys focusing on and including as many minute details and textures in her initial pen and inking of her art to make it feel grounded in some form of reality. She then goes over this with a layer of watercolor because she enjoys the hint of unpredictability and lack of control with the medium that results in even more layers of texture and unique blends of color. Once dry, she typically layers on a combination of gouache and gel ink to bring out any lost details and add extra dimension and vibrancy to the work to give it an otherworldly aura.

Biography

Initially born in Atlanta, Emma Lettera spent most of her childhood bouncing from one place to another until landing in Florida in 2011 to attend The University of Tampa and earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in graphic design, and she decided to stick around. During the times of uprooting as a child, art combined with reading and an interest in fashion served as a form of escapism and personal expression when life felt most overwhelming and out of control. Carrying her passion for the arts into her adult life, Lettera continues to create fantastical worlds with wild, original characters often inspired by a combination of mental health, the fantasy and science fiction stories she immersed herself in while growing up, and editorial fashion. Currently, Lettera also serves as an elementary art teacher in the Hillsborough County Public School system where she works to deliver an engaging art program to foster the same enthusiasm she holds for the visual arts into her students. She balances this with continuing to develop her own artistic skills and creating personal work to display at local art events and conventions.

Exhibition History (CV)