Tania LaCaria

Acrylic, ink, marker and conte on canvas.

40x48x0.75"

The definition of boundless is to be unlimited; immense. Is this a word you would use to describe your life? It isn’t one I used for myself in the past, but I am trying to change that. At least, I would like to change the way I think about my potential, my goals, my dreams (which are all extensions of me as a person) and consider those to be boundless. To imagine that there is infinite possibility for my dreams to shift in any direction is freeing, even if it’s intimidating to put into practice.

The limitations we put on ourselves hold us back. We are our own worst critics, succumbing to false beliefs that were planted in our subconscious that make us feel small, incapable and scared. But false beliefs are just that - false! Our insecurities are not real, they’re just limitations we set so that we have an excuse not to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones. But guess what? It’s so exciting to step out of that comfort zone, even in a small way at first.

This painting is about the paradox of trying to live in a state of boundlessness (possibility) but constantly deferring back to the false beliefs we tell ourselves that result in confinement (limitations). The fulfilling possibilities that are available to all of us in our work, our relationships and our goals become easy to imagine if we open our minds to the potential we have. And yet, we still find ways to diminish our goals because we think we don’t deserve to dream that big.

In order to communicate the intention to live without boundaries through this painting, I created several “windows'' that represent miniature galaxies. Each one appears like a portal through the canvas and represents a vast, boundless darkness. This darkness seems foreboding and eerie; there is something terrifying about vastness and openness (especially in space!). But the vastness isn’t meant to be intimidating, amidst the darkness there is always light to be found, like the stars, the moon, the sun, the planets.

This painting is a reminder to think big, to reject the tendency we have to limit ourselves mentally or physically; to expand our minds and hearts beyond our wildest dreams, but to also remember to stay focused, to stay humble, to stay grounded. I am learning that it is possible to do both at the same time. To be able to imagine my life as boundless and full of possibility is a hopeful and exciting feeling. It’s ok to be scared of your own potential - getting what you’ve always wanted can seem scary at first because it requires you to take action and accountability. But that’s ok. Take action! Hold yourself accountable for your own life! Don’t let your imaginary limitations hold you back. Dive into those mini galaxies with an open heart and you just might surprise yourself. It’s time for a boundless mindset!

This painting is part of the Out Of this World collection from 2021.

Ink, acrylic, natural-dyed linen, palo santo on raw canvas.

44x44"

Inspired by Allie Michelle’s original poem, A Poem for My Ancestors, this piece focuses on the sentiment behind the following lines: “I felt generations of women who were the invisible hands weaving their husbands dreams/ silently praying that one day they might get to live on their own.”

Using the imagery of basket-weaving that has shown up in the artist’s previous collection, Hold, the idea of women contributing to the successful futures of their husbands and partners appears to be another aspect of invisible “woman’s work” as the art of basket-weaving and other craft-based work historically falls to women, along with managing the family's schedule and maintaining the household. Women are known for having to walk a careful line between maintaining a home/work life balance that male counterparts don’t often have to experience.

The artist incorporated a basket weave pattern of 100% linen strips that were dyed in avocado skins in reference to the “woman’s work” of craft, home-making and cooking.

Both subtle and obvious messages taken from Allie Michelle’s poem are scrawled across these linen strips ("generations of women who were the invisible hands, weaving their husbands dreams, silently praying that one day they might get to live on their own") to reference the often quiet, desperate whispers and cries uttered by our women ancestors to one another.

These woven ribbons begin to loosen, ripple and fall apart as they culminate at the center of the canvas in reference to the new generation of independent women who no longer find themselves in the same positions of having to support their partners (either because they’re unwed and single, or because they find themselves in supportive and balanced partnership) and instead, are now able to weave the patterns of their own dreams.

Despite the empowering message behind Allie Michelle’s words, there’s an undertone of sadness in the way she acknowledges her current state of independence is entirely owed to the generations of women who came before her who sacrificed their own dreams for the benefit of their families. Imagery of candles with flames that appear to have been snuffed out with heavy smoke (created with palo santo) pay homage to the women who sacrificed so much.

Splashes of blue suggest the turmoil (and eventual triumph) our women ancestors endured while trying to hold onto themselves while also being in service to their families. The new generation of women Allie Michelle references have the privilege and opportunity to live life on their own terms, with or without a family, because now they have a choice.


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The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.

Acrylic, ink, spray paint, pencil on wood board.

16x20"

Inspired by the powerful words and live performance of Katie Makkai’s poem, Pretty, the artist created two pieces on wood panel drawing parallels between the medium’s solid exterior and the “hard truth” the author shares about women and physical appearances.

For this piece, Katie Makkai's entire poem was transcribed by hand in the artist’s penmanship as a way referencing how the same sentiments Makkai shares could easily have been her own thoughts one might find in the artist's journal. Makkai uses her voice in a compelling, theatrical way to address how at a young age she learned that the most important thing about herself was her appearance, and how her mother’s on-going efforts to doctor her appearance to make her more conventionally attractive left Katie wondering what her “real” face would have looked like.

The artist references the author’s aspirations for “physical perfection” by scribbling, re-writing, painting, crossing-out, hiding, revealing, highlighting and re-writing words from her poem to symbolize that despite the quest for perfection, a mess was made. There is a painful vulnerability in Makkai’s compelling delivery in which she admits that despite her mother having paid for physical adjustments to her daughter’s nose, teeth and overall appearance, an entanglement of emotions and overall sense of being "not-enough" remains; there's a deep feeling of being unwell despite having a flawless physical appearance.

The focal point of this piece remains the slightly obscured yet legible word “face” as the artist attempts to highlight that for many women, their most prioritized characteristic is the face (and their appearance in general) but there is little consideration given to the “messy” emotional impact that maintaining a perfect appearance that is intended to please others has on a woman’s psyche.


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The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.