Marcela Gontijo investigates the human presence in the face of life's events, exploring, through drawing and painting, the essential in a sensitive perspective on the world. Her compositions are born from the combination of photographic records and direct observations, creating an immersive first-person experience that invites the viewer to see through her eyes. Throughout her career, she has explored themes such as the recording of everyday life, memory and, more recently, the grandeur of nature. This latest investigation materializes in the series Nós depoimentos toda essa grandeza, where the human figure contrasts with imposing natural landscapes. Two works from this series are included in the new issue of ArtBluum magazine.
How did your journey into the art world begin?
My artistic sensibility began to develop in my adolescence, when I was given a camera and began to see the world more attentively. Since childhood, drawing and painting have been part of me, and over the years, my interest has expanded to different areas of art, such as cinema, music and poetry. The combination of these influences awakened in me the desire to create. However, my journey as an artist was consolidated during my undergraduate studies in Visual Arts, when, through my studies, I understood what inspires me to produce. In this process, I learned to look within, to rescue what already existed within me and transform it into creative fuel. During college, I chose to deepen my research in drawing and painting, which became my main techniques. Today, photography continues to be present in my process, functioning as an essential tool for recording and inspiring my creations.
What themes do you prefer to explore in your works?
My artistic research is developed in three main investigations. The first began in college, exploring drawing as a record of everyday life. Inspired by the perspective of a flâneuse in the post-pandemic period, I observed the city and its encounters, a theme that I continue to revisit.
The second investigation was born from the need to "save" these memories. Thus, I explored cabinets and oratories as spaces for immortalization, creating expanded paintings that mix records of moments, old photos and playful elements. I understand this work as a way of transforming memories into something sacred — a space to celebrate life.
My most recent investigation follows this same logic. Seeking to express the grandeur of nature and its divinity, I developed the series Nós vistomos toda essa grandeza [We witness all this greatness], in which the human figure contrasts with imposing landscapes, such as the sea and the forest.
What is your creative process like?
My creative process begins with an idea, which often comes to mind ready-made. The next step is to record references to transform this vision into a painting. With these records in hand, I move on to the most challenging stage: sketching the composition. This stage requires a great deal of mental effort, as I usually mix different reference photos and add elements that were not in the original images.
After defining the composition, comes the most enjoyable part: painting. Whether with chalk or oil paint, this stage requires concentration and repetition, becoming almost meditative. I am a detail-oriented person and I don't mind taking longer paths to achieve the desired result. Often, this means filling a huge canvas with countless "little chalk lines."
During the process, the initial idea constantly changes. The materialization of the work is never linear, and it is precisely this unpredictability that makes it all so fascinating.
What are your sources of inspiration?
My main sources of inspiration come from the world around me: from everyday relationships, nature, routine, old and recent photographs, environments and the various elements that make up life. I often use photographs taken with my cell phone to compose my paintings, which means that these elements are, most of the time, recorded in this way. This also becomes a source of inspiration, as I seek to incorporate this contemporary point of view into my work.
What materials and techniques do you use most often?
The materials I like to use the most are oil paint and oil pastels. Lately, I have been working mainly on canvas, but my first experiments with oil pastels were on paper.
Who are the artistic influences that have impacted your work?
Currently, my greatest artistic influences are Nina Horikawa, Maya Weishof, Marcela Cantuária, Regina Parra, Heloísa Hariadne and Hilma af Klint. Although my art is different from all of them, each one inspires me in some way. My most direct influence comes from Nina Horikawa, due to her themes and figurative painting.
The works of Heloísa Hariadne, Hilma af Klint and Regina Parra inspire me in my search for representing spiritual issues and the essential, in addition to attracting me technically. Marcela Cantuária influences me with the vibrant use of color and the intensity of her paintings. Maya Weishof's work has been the one that most inspires me at the moment, opening paths for future projects and new ways of thinking about my art.
What is the meaning of art in your life?
I used to think that I wasn’t a real artist because I didn’t draw every day or follow a stereotype. I thought that I couldn’t consider myself one of those artists who say they can’t live without art. However, in my last semester of college, I got a formal job and, while I was writing my final project, everything seemed to be in order. But after graduating, I spent months without creating, focused only on work, and this made me sick. It was during this period that I realized how essential art is to me. The creative process, from the initial sketch to the final touches of a work, is necessary for me to feel alive. When I go too long without creating, everything around me starts to lose its meaning. Today, I can say with certainty: I am, indeed, one of those artists who can’t live without art.
How do you stay up to date on trends?
I keep up to date mainly through social media, following many artists on Instagram. In recent years, that's where I've come across very interesting contemporary artists, of different ages and relevance in the art scene. I also enjoy following art exhibitions in museums, galleries and alternative spaces in São Paulo.
