Tania LaCaria
Tania LaCaria (Canada b. 1985) is an Italian-Canadian artist. She holds a BA in Fine Arts from York University (2006) and a CIDA advanced diploma in Interior Design from Sheridan College (2009). LaCaria launched her residential interior design consulting firm in 2005 and has since traveled the world extensively, gathering inspiration from various cultures and countries where she’s lived, namely in Latin America and South East Asia. Her travels have always influenced her work in art and design and continue to be an important source of inspiration for her. She returned to Canada and settled in Hamilton in 2016, where she currently lives and works.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
LaCaria’s work explores paradox - the idea that two opposing realities can exist at the same time - with a focus on themes based on gender, sexuality, social structure/class systems, body politics and relationships, often presented in an Abstract Expressionist aesthetic. LaCaria’s mission in life is to form meaningful connections with others, and she does this through her art.
As a conceptual artist, LaCaria thrives in a state of curiosity, eager to ask questions of herself and the world around her during her creative process while admitting she doesn't have the answers. Her background in Interior Design blends seamlessly with her love for visual arts as LaCaria spent the majority of her professional life as a solutionist for her clients. Now, as a full-time professional artist, LaCaria is eager to share her curiosity with others by producing thought-provoking work that prompts viewers to ask questions about themselves and their life experiences.
In order to ensure viewers make an emotional connection to her visual works, LaCaria exhibits and presents her work alongside her poetry, her preferred method of story-telling, to provide additional context to the motivation behind her creative decisions. Her creative process has been described as ‘performative’ with an emphasis on the deep introspection, vulnerability and social observations she is making that are often juxtaposed by the playful, “fun” and seemingly light-hearted way her often brightly colored work presents to viewers.
Tania LaCaria (Canada b. 1985) is an Italian-Canadian artist. She holds a BA in Fine Arts from York University (2006) and a CIDA advanced diploma in Interior Design from Sheridan College (2009). LaCaria launched her residential interior design consulting firm in 2005 and has since traveled the world extensively, gathering inspiration from various cultures and countries where she’s lived, namely in Latin America and South East Asia. Her travels have always influenced her work in art and design and continue to be an important source of inspiration for her. She returned to Canada and settled in Hamilton in 2016, where she currently lives and works.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
LaCaria’s work explores paradox - the idea that two opposing realities can exist at the same time - with a focus on themes based on gender, sexuality, social structure/class systems, body politics and relationships, often presented in an Abstract Expressionist aesthetic. LaCaria’s mission in life is to form meaningful connections with others, and she does this through her art.
As a conceptual artist, LaCaria thrives in a state of curiosity, eager to ask questions of herself and the world around her during her creative process while admitting she doesn't have the answers. Her background in Interior Design blends seamlessly with her love for visual arts as LaCaria spent the majority of her professional life as a solutionist for her clients. Now, as a full-time professional artist, LaCaria is eager to share her curiosity with others by producing thought-provoking work that prompts viewers to ask questions about themselves and their life experiences.
In order to ensure viewers make an emotional connection to her visual works, LaCaria exhibits and presents her work alongside her poetry, her preferred method of story-telling, to provide additional context to the motivation behind her creative decisions. Her creative process has been described as ‘performative’ with an emphasis on the deep introspection, vulnerability and social observations she is making that are often juxtaposed by the playful, “fun” and seemingly light-hearted way her often brightly colored work presents to viewers.
$1,320.00
Acrylic, ink and pastel on canvas.
40x44"
Seek Change - part of the From The Darkness Comes the Light collection
40" x 44"
The quantum physicist Max Planck said “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” You may not always be responsible for the changes that come into your life, but you are responsible for changing your outlook and your perspective, because it is through your own perspective that you form your reality.
If you don’t like the way things are looking, change the way you look at them, and then, without a doubt, the things you’ve been looking at will have changed, as well. Change is good. Stagnation is sadness, it is heavy, it is death. Change is hopeful, healthy and beautiful. Seek the change you want to see in your life. You’re the only one who is capable of changing things for yourself, you’re the only one who can truly affect your own reality.
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The From The Darkness Comes The Light collection explores the intense feeling of levity that finally strikes after a heavy period of pain and suffering. These works are a reminder not to be afraid of the darkness. In order to release the pain that you’re feeling, you have to feel it. Pain is unpleasant, emotional and physical pain alike. We have associated pain as being a negative emotion, but what if we accepted emotional pain as just another feeling? Just like happiness and joy, it is merely a feeling, and it won’t last forever. This series serves as a reminder that sometimes the greatest joy follows times of intense pain.
$1,700.00
Acrylic, ink, conte, gold leaf on canvas.
47.50x47.50"
Strength in Softness - part of From The Darkness Comes the Light collection
47.5" x 47.5"
May we learn to be strong by being soft. May we gain our strength from the courage it takes to let our guard down; by letting others in and showing vulnerability; by allowing fear to come pouring out so that healing can begin.
To be soft is to be without hard edges, without daggers, without swords or blades. Softness is gentle like the petals of a flower. Gentle like the downy carpet of a grassy field. Softness is always strong in its collective. One petal alone cannot guard the pollen of a flower, but many together form a barrier. One blade of grass is meaningless and insignificant, but many together make for a breathtaking surface of movement and colour that protects the Earth beneath it.
In numbers, softness is strong. And in this vein of thought, I invite you to collect all the soft parts of your heart, mind and soul and celebrate them for their collective strength. For me, these parts of myself come together to create a strong person - not an invincible person, but one who has become strong in her conviction and truth.
Your softness is your superpower: your ability to bend, break, crumble and come back again afterwards, tougher than before. Your softness makes for gentle hugs from strong arms, soft cushioning upon a courageous chest, gently rounded curves of the shoulders that have carried the burdens of others without hesitation.
Your softness IS your strength.
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The From The Darkness Comes The Light collection explores the intense feeling of levity that finally strikes after a heavy period of pain and suffering. These works are a reminder not to be afraid of the darkness. In order to release the pain that you’re feeling, you have to feel it. Pain is unpleasant, emotional and physical pain alike. We have associated pain as being a negative emotion, but what if we accepted emotional pain as just another feeling? Just like happiness and joy, it is merely a feeling, and it won’t last forever. This series serves as a reminder that sometimes the greatest joy follows times of intense pain.
$1,175.00
Flashe, acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas.
32x32"
A Whole Meal - Love Letters (To My Exes) collection
32" x 32"
We each brought our pain to the table and ate it for dinner. We shared every bite: savoured the tender parts, cried over the grisly bits, and argued over who deserved more dessert.
You do, no you do.
It was sickeningly sweet. Sometimes a gift comes in the form of a person who shouldn’t stay. Sometimes a snack can be a whole meal.
*This painting was inspired by the song Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue.
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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.
This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.
The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.
$2,222.00
Flashe, acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas.
40x50"
Red Flat - Love Letters (To My Exes) Collection
40" x 50"
It was there all along. I saw it on day one. I turned a blind eye because of that smile, those dimples. Those blue eyes. Those arms. Oh man, those arms. I convinced myself the red could have been green, could have been gray, could have been violet. But it was red. And it was flapping in the wind. I didn’t want to see it because then I’d have to admit I was addicted to the toxic. Toxic was familiar. Toxic felt safe.
And I had a red flag of my own. And he turned a blind eye, too. Turns out we were two red flags flapping in the wind, pretending to heal each other when we just needed to heal ourselves.
I still think of him.
*This painting was inspired by the song #1 Crush (Nellee Hooper Mix) by Garbage
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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, hetero, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.
This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.
The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.
$2,222.00
Acrylic, flashe, ink on canvas.
40x50"
Could Have Been - Love Letters (To My Exes) collection
40" x 50"
I can’t help but think of what could have been. We could have been great. We could have rewritten the stories our broken hearts held onto. We could have been the ones to make it. I wonder if he thinks of me as the one who got away. Is he the one who got away from me? To think of him as “getting away” means at some point he was mine to keep, but he never was. I will always think of him and what could have been. I will always wonder if he thinks of me.
*This painting was inspired by the song Grow Old With Me by Tom Odell
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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.
This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.
The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.
$2,222.00
Acrylic, ink, coloured pencil on canvas.
40x50"
Conquests - part of the Love Letters (To My Exes) collection
My pain. My plans. My hopes. My regrets. My shortcomings. My triumphs. My conquests. My heart. My mind. My head. My body. My turn. My time. Get on board or get out of my way. My choice.
*This painting was inspired by the song Look Who's Crying Now by Jessie Murph
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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.
This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.
The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.
$1,850.00
Acrylic, spray paint, coloured pencil on raw canvas.
36x40"
It's On You 36" x 40" (part of the Hold Collection)
"It’s on you to make it happen. Hold tight to the parts of yourself that believe in you. Hold onto the parts of yourself that need you the most. Hold onto the dream, the goals, the joy, the peace, the love, the happiness. Let the pain go. It’s on you, now. You’re the only one who can truly decide what is worth carrying."
The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.
$1,850.00
Acrylic, spray paint, poppy seeds, coloured pencil on raw canvas.
36x40"
Have You Seen My Poppy Seeds? 36" x 40" (part of the Hold Collection)
"It’s on you to make it happen. Hold tight to the parts of yourself that believe in you. Hold onto the parts of yourself that need you the most. Hold onto the dream, the goals, the joy, the peace, the love, the happiness. Let the pain go. It’s on you, now. You’re the only one who can truly decide what is worth carrying."
The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.
$3,500.00
Mixed media on raw canvas.
50x70"
Says Who? 50" x 70" (part of the Hold Collection)
"You can’t put that there. You can’t do it that way. You can’t build it like this. That isn’t supposed to happen that way. You aren’t doing it right. It’s too big. You’re too small. It’s too weird. It’s too slow. She did it better. He hates it. She says it’s ugly. He stopped watching.
It’s actually incredible. It’s better than that. It’s worth more. She’s impressed. He loves it. It’s just perfect as it is. It’s not supposed to be pretty. He gets it. She doesn’t care. "
The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.
$3,100.00
Flashe, acrylic, spray paint, coloured pencil on raw canvas.
40x60"
Fortitude 40" x 60" (part of the Mirror Collection)
"To see good in others is to see good in yourself.
To see strength in others is to recognize strength in yourself.
To see pain in others is to honour the pain your own heart holds.
To see fragility in others is to make peace with your own vulnerability.
To embody Fortitude, is to be at ease with the exhaustion that comes from being resilient.
One final homage to the Mirror collection is this painting that celebrates the strength and fragility of the people who make up the city of Hamilton. The strong and powerful, the meek and fragile, the wealthy and the working class. The communities who work together, the groups who clash. The tall rises with glass windows that look down on the steel mills and paved roads that support them. A reminder that glass can be cracked, fractured and chipped, and yet, still remain intact; a reminder that steel can be bent, warped and dented, but it cannot be broken."
The Mirror collection is an exploration of who people are according to themselves vs. who people appear to be to others, and whether these two "identities" are actually one in the same or entirely different personas. The artist asks the question of whether or not one's sense of Self can exist without the context of who she is according to other people.
The reflection one sees of themselves in a mirror is an inverted image of what others see - a mirror, the tool we use to view ourselves, is not even an accurate depiction of what we look like to others.
The mirror is an unreliable source of reflection but it's ironically used daily to ensure "we look our best" or "look like ourselves" before facing other people. The artist is exploring the concepts of truth and perception as it relates to the Self, and whether or not the identities people claim as their own are naturally formed and inherited at birth or fabricated and curated over the years as a result of life experiences and the influence of other people.
The artist used personal items including clothing, shoes and cosmetics to create these pieces, focusing on the juxtaposition between line work and fluid forms to express the tension between the varying degrees of masculine and feminine energies the artist has identified in herSelf.
$2,600.00
Flashe, acrylic, pastel, charcoal on canvas.
46x46"
32-25-34
46" x 46" (part of the Mirror Collection)
"Inspired by the quote by Abraham Hicks: "there’s nothing to prove, just life to live," this painting title notes the artist's body measurements as way of commenting on how the least important thing about her or anyone else is one's body size, and yet it remains at the forefront of conversations for women."
The Mirror collection is an exploration of who people are according to themselves vs. who people appear to be to others, and whether these two "identities" are actually one in the same or entirely different personas. The artist asks the question of whether or not one's sense of Self can exist without the context of who she is according to other people.
The reflection one sees of themselves in a mirror is an inverted image of what others see - a mirror, the tool we use to view ourselves, is not even an accurate depiction of what we look like to others.
The mirror is an unreliable source of reflection but it's ironically used daily to ensure "we look our best" or "look like ourselves" before facing other people. The artist is exploring the concepts of truth and perception as it relates to the Self, and whether or not the identities people claim as their own are naturally formed and inherited at birth or fabricated and curated over the years as a result of life experiences and the influence of other people.
The artist used personal items including clothing, shoes and cosmetics to create these pieces, focusing on the juxtaposition between line work and fluid forms to express the tension between the varying degrees of masculine and feminine energies the artist has identified in herSelf.
$1,900.00
Spray paint, flashe, incense, colored pencil, acrylic on canvas.
36x40"
Burn 36" x 40" (part of the Mess Collection)
"…and just when you thought you burned the memory of her out of your mind, the sun will shine through the window and it’s warmth will dance on your skin and the memory of her touch will come rushing back; because all the fire and smoke in the Universe couldn’t erase the memory of the way her hands moved across your skin.
You cannot escape the haunting of her, no matter how hard you try."
The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.
Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.
The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.
LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.
The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.