Escrito por Julia Eiles Smith
Argentine painter Camila Carella has long been fascinated by the strong hold images can exert over us — their ability to engulf or subdue, elicit ecstatic sensations, and even transcend reality itself. Guided by her profound interest in mythology and religions, particularly Tantra, her artworks feature ornate compositions embedded with symbols. Infused with a surreal and mystical energy, they inspire both reverence and curiosity, reminiscent of altarpieces or reliquaries. Amidst her captivation with the otherworldly essence encapsulated by these objects and symbols, the artist maintains a skepticism about their potential to evoke feelings of devotion and veneration.
Carella's paintings often derive from visions that manifest in her dreams. During her residency at Est-Nord-Est, one of her works took shape from the striking image she saw in a dream — a fountain gushing red water. Constructed like a mosaic, with each tessellation meticulously reproduced, the piece centers the fountain and its crimson spills. Surrounding it are depictions of bodies on the ground, bitten by canine creatures. Arranged in square vignettes around this scene are illustrations suggesting pain or connection: knots, chain-links, interactions between aggressors and victims, humans and non-human, often explicitly violent or sexual. The overall composition conveys the irrational and disquieting tone of a nightmare.
Illustrations of hands and interlacing patterns recur in other works created during her residency at Est-Nord Est. In one piece, she replicates a stained glass on the surface, framed by a series of eight-pointed yellow stars, a tantric symbol representing the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. Behind the glass, Carella depicts two hands holding forearms in a protective manner. The nature of the hand-fold remains ambiguous, teetering between offering support and physically restraining, dominance and submission.
In another of her creations, Carella imparts spiritual agency into objects, drawing from her interest in animism. Hand-shadows take on life of their own, clocks morph into floating eyes shedding tears, and a large waxing crescent moon adorns the foreground. CArella’s recent works employ an array of compositional techniques, accentuating painting as a portal to the depths of the unconscious mind.