ARTIST STATEMENT
Inspired by everything around me, my paintings and prints reflect and interpret my emotions, my experiences, and my beliefs. We as humans experience so many things that affect our lives and I try to express this in my pictures. I use different mediums to recreate my pictures, such as acrylic, watercolor, gouache, ink and Printmaking.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mildred Annani Mercado is a self-taught artist who started painting when she was 14 years old with an old box of oil pastels that her father was going to throw out. She is Puerto Rican and was born and raised on the south side of Chicago where she currently lives with her three children. Annani is a mixed media Artist, Beekeeper, Poet, and was a Chef for 26 years. After 12 years of misdiagnoses, she was diagnosed in 2018 with Fibromyalgia and Crohn’s Disease and retired from the kitchen. Expressing herself through her art, helps Annani deal with her illnesses and the chaos they have created in her life. She believes in showing her children that there are healthier ways to deal with mental health issues. Inspired by everything around her, her art reflects her experiences, emotions, and beliefs. The themes in her artwork deal with life and spirituality.
© Mildred Annani Mercado