Here, we ask an artist to frame the essential details behind one of their latest works.
Bio: Theresa Chromati, 30, Brooklyn (@post_theresa_chromati)
Title of work: A Life to Be Lived Within This Deep Breath (I Am With You As We Take This Step Forward), 2023.
Where to see it: “A Living Record (Her Arrival Was Once Steps Taken)” at Jessica Silverman (621 Grant Avenue, San Francisco) until May 26.
Three words to describe it: Will, transient, support.
What was on your mind at the time: I thought of this often: “A life that is free is a life that moves.” – Theresa Chromati. I was interested in building this scrotum flower up to celebrate movement and one’s ability to transition from one state to the next with acceptance. The black flower head turns back on itself as it steps forward to acknowledge where it’s been, all while exploring what’s up next. As the flower head gazes into the past the viewer is reflected in their present form, with the space to spend time with the engraved affirmation “a life to be lived within this deep breath.” Perhaps then we all can feel the freedom to move forward.
An interesting feature that’s not immediately noticeable: The intimate swirl on the left foot connects the standing scrotum flower back to the central figure. The swirl is an element that forms her hair in each painting, often in the center of her head, and repeated forms bursting out around her.
How it reflects your practice as a whole: I’m constantly envisioning what support can be for the ever-evolving woman (central figure) in my paintings. It has been healing to create a supportive totem for her, an element that celebrates balance in masculine and feminine energy, and an element of pure power and acceptance. This being is the scrotum flower. Within the paintings, the scrotum flower is a companion that whispers moments of encouragement for her and stretches with her. In this realm, the scrotum flower lives and grows alongside us all as it continues to encourage.
One song that captures its essence: “Lovers Rock” by Sade.