FEFA

The artist Fefa in body paint.

Fefa Românova is a self-taught artist from Brazil. Growing up in the Amazon, she was introduced to folkloric culture, not only in stories, but also through ritual dances she took part in throughout grade school. Images of river mermaids swimming through aquatic plants and giant native women, larger than life, sprung to her mind. Her studies in theater, beginning in 2007, revived her interest in the folk stories and characters of her childhood. She began drawing and painting, creating a dialogue with these characters. She hoped to not only rescue them from the past, but to invent a new aesthetic and spiritual existence, one with its own mythology. Working with varied materials and media, she seeks to fill spaces with a storyline, one in which simplified human physiognomy, animal forms, and bold abstract lines mesh and morph into one another, resulting in a loose interpretation of otherworldly imagery.

10 questions with Fefa Românova:

What is your earliest recollection of creating art?

"Fefa says

What is your medium of choice?

"Fefa says

What are the themes you like work with?

"Fefa says

Do politics enter into the equation of art creation for you?

Who are some of your roll models - artist or non-artist?

With everything that is going on in the world what inspires or gives you the most hope?

What scares you the most?

What would most like to be remembered for?

Tell us about the cause or charity that your proceeds* going to and why?

What's your favorite guilty pleasure?