Mercedes Bellido, born in Zaragoza (1991), moved to the city of Cuenca to study Fine Arts. During her university courses she began to become interested in painting and decided to take it as the main technique of her work, complementing it with drawing and embroidery.
Once he finished his degree, he moved to Madrid to complete his studies by doing a Master in Research in Art and Creation at the Complutense University.
He has collaborated several times with the Libros Mutantes self-publishing fair at La Casa Encendida, such as a presentation of his sketchbook published by Ediciones Puré in 2013 or his participation in the workshop "A Fanzine to Take Away" in 2015. He carried out an intervention project with Plataforma PAC at the Estampa Fair (Madrid 2015). He has participated in the III International University Art Exhibition IKAS ART (Bilbao 2011) in collective exhibitions such as EXTENDIDO Emerging Art Festival (Cuenca 2012-2013), «Planetary Power» (Madrid 2015), «We don´t care anymore» (Madrid 2015), «Spring in the square» collective exhibition at Matadero Madrid (2016). During the last two years he has had 3 solo exhibitions, PAPERBALL at Espacio Lamosa (2014) and NO HOME, at Lasala in Zaragoza (2014) and «Everything dies under the sun» at Espacio Ananas, Madrid (2016). He has exhibited with the Ananas gallery at Just Mad in 2017.
We had the opportunity to talk to her during her exhibition in Valencia, "La noche, el ave de alas negras" (The Night, the Black-Winged Bird), held in Valencia at the Plastic Murs gallery in March 2017, and this is the result.
1.-How would you define your work?
I would define my work as images that transmit calm and concern at the same time, they are composed of an imaginary that I try to make recognizable using the elements and codes to show a dreamlike and personal world but that does not interfere with the personal interpretation of each viewer. I like that people can bring the meaning of the images to their own experiences.
2.-Who do you have as a reference or what do you use as inspiration?
De Chirico, Magritte, Hockney or Rousseau are names that always appear in my references and I always turn to them among many others, but it could be said that they are the ones that have influenced me the most. The Internet is another very important window to find inspiration.
3.-What materials do you usually use for your works?
I usually work in acrylic on paper and Indian inks.
4.-What do you ask of painting?
May it continue to exist and allow me to continue learning in the process. You learn a lot, it requires effort, dedication, perseverance and order, if something doesn't work out, let it dry and start again. You must learn quickly to overcome frustration, especially when things don't work out for you.
5.-In your color palette, what is essential?
White is without a doubt the color I use the most although it is not visible much, but there is white in all my mixes. Turquoise green is also quite recurrent in all its ranges and indigo or grayish blue.
+ info about the artist: http://mercedesbellido.tumblr.com/
