Home & Lava

Artist Statement

We believe art is personal and the fire it ignites will change intensity from one person to another, but there are unique connections to phases of our lives. We try to create pieces that people can also feel connected to in their past, present or future. Our deep exploration ensures we are not just capturing the essence, but our brush strokes and color placement recreate thoughts, feelings and emotions with true meaning. We attach or separate ourselves to and from situations as we feel necessary, so our work ranges from evoking feelings of contentment to recreating internal conflict. We do not believe in stagnation, and we are on a constant search for the best way to represent our experiences relative to our environment. A few examples of mediums we use include paint, resin, wood, crystals and metal.

Helenne Fortes & Athaliah Edwards-Sedra

Biography

We are a pair of artists who lived in four countries and ten U.S. cities before proudly making Tampa our home. We create art that draws from our life experiences often intermingled with elements of nature. Our process includes deep exploration and digging beneath the surface to uncover the innermost thoughts and feelings behind the "why"- though uncomfortable at times. Our current work represents how we moved through life and adapted to our locality to thrive despite challenges. We draw on the things that brought us peace, the things that attempted to disturb our peace, the places we found joy and the moments that stripped us of our joy.

Exhibition History (CV)