Emma Gayle Frierson

In my work, I use painting as a tool to communicate the thoughts and feelings basking inside of me. I seek to transform silence once forced upon me into a load symphony of color and emotion. Painting is more than just oil paints and the canvas; it is a sanctuary where the silenced whispers of my inner child find their roar. Where my past traumas that weighed upon me are lifted up as empowered narratives. With each brushstroke, I push the energy into climbing the ladder out of powerlessness, mixing memories with pigments of imagination to concoct a visual lexicon that speaks of healing and audacious joy. I find great peace, growth and validation in my work. No matter what I may create, my artistic process will always be an intimate dialogue with the self, sparked by the rawness of unfiltered emotions. It is a fierce dance of creation I dance; fueled by the need to be heard and to understand the complexities of the self in a world that often mutes individuality. The subjects of my work are the unvoiced messages of my younger self, bold, imaginative figures and scene that resonate with the echoes of my history. These pieces are born from emotions that have simmered within me, nurtured by the myriad inspiration of life, from the animated stories of my childhood to the profound depths of surrealism. My art is a screech yearned to be heard and understood. At the core of my work is a quest for identity and purpose, a journey navigated through the power of self-reflection and the lens of art. Anger may ignite the spark, but it is the desire for self expression and discovery that fuels my fire. Paining is my life’s work, a means to reclaim not just my narrative, but my existence. Each piece is a step toward understanding my place in the fabric of generational narratives, and with it, I find a sense of completion and peace. My art is an open diary, an invitation to witness the transformation of rage into a purposeful celebration of life and its infinite capacity for rebirth. My large scale paintings turn my powerless anxiety into a confident, self proclaimed energetic screech. Allowing my whole soul to pour into vivid color and imaginary characters. Propelling energy into each action I claim forward. Stepping back, to see the the story unfold keeps me going. Creating a piece fueled by so much emotion, and energy makes it feel alive. My characters creep around me, light, shadow, pigment dances toward me and consumes me into a world of self-reflection and empowerment. My paintings are my sanctuary. Where my voice is heard, where the eyes judging me fall, and where I finally feel understood. I create paintings investigating abandoned, hardened emotions within the self. Allowing myself to rebirth a narrative which empowers me, rather than belittles me fuels the fire within, and allows myself, and others to feel understood and validated. I use painting as a tool. An expressive tool to communicate my cold feelings, and a tool to heal from the past trauma I have endured. Painting turns these cold hard feelings into a concoction of celebratory colors and narratives. Before I started painting I felt silenced, meek and powerless. Painting allows my voice to be heard and allows me bring messages to my audience in a more lighthearted, and empowering way. My goal for my audience is for their voices to be validated and heard when connecting with pieces. Creating this art allows me to heal my saddened inner child. In my life, I lack control. When I create, I feel like I take back the reins of life into my own hands, allowing me to birth a story unfolding my personal narrative. Making something powerful and meaningful out of something that has terrified me for so long, is healing, beautiful, powerful and spiritual. I feel such a liberating, and indestructible connection to my pieces. I have built them from the ground up with every energetic, emotional paint stroke. These pieces are unapologetically me. Authentic, through and through.