Artist of the Month - Ana Marietta

"I don't think I ever had an artist who I related to really, I admire lots of artists because they are different"

The best artists are often the ones we stumble upon by accident. I came across the awesome muralist Ana Marietta while actually trying to identify the artist behind a different mural close by. The Octopus Mural, painted behind the stage at the unfortunately soon to be defunct Mango Cantina, is as eye-catching and unique as it is unsettling. Featuring two tentacled figures surrounded by a halo of, yup, more tentacles, it is actually a pretty perfect preface to her work.  

Ana Marietta grew up in rural Puerto Rico but now resides in Houston (yay for us!).  Far from receiving the traditional art education, she graduated from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez with a degree in Animal Sciences. A bit far removed from the traditional artistic background you might think, but look a little closer at her works and the link between art and science, specifically the animal anatomy, becomes very clear.  In fact, in a recent interview with Art Nois Magazine, Ana Marietta said "I feel passionate about avian anatomy and physiology", so that explains the abundance of bird-like creatures and beaks in her work then..

Ana Marietta is one of those great artists that has an inescapably unique style, yet is able to be incredibly versatile at the same time. Her uniqueness by no means limits her to one medium or genre.  She works in acrylics, watercolors and oils, she dabbles in sculpture, and draws flawless works with mechanical pencils. For her murals, she uses flat exterior house paint, and it comes out looking anything but flat. 

Despite having no formal education in art, Ana Marietta's skill with the brush/pencil is outstanding. Her sci-fi-esque works have an air of the Surrealist movement about them - technically immaculate but completely loopy in terms of subject matter. Like, wow look at the detail on that lady with a giant fly on her head, the shading is superb! It's totally crazy, sometime nightmarish, but always fun to look at.

Ana Marietta has said: "I don't think I ever had an artist who I related to really, I admire lots of artists because they are different", and this I think really encapsulates her attitude towards her own work. She strives for originality, creativity, and intrigue above all else, and in this she has really hit the nail on the head. 

Although there is not a huge amount of coverage for this artist, she has by no means gone unnoticed, particularly in the Street Art world.  She has created murals in Houston, Las Vegas, and Austin, and her work has appeared at festivals such as Miami Art Basel, Art Rua, and the Las Vegas Life is Beautiful Festival, to name just a few.  She is definitely one to watch, and not just on a local scale either.

To stay up to date with Ana Marietta's latest projects and news you can follow her on Instagram orBehance, and if you're local to Houston then I highly recommend checking out her work in person!

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