Emotional Self , Oil on linen 20"x10"

By choosing to follow in the long tradition of still life painting, Anamario Hernandez consummately reinterprets and combines Western European and Latin America tableaux and influences.    Hernandez strives to depict the essence of the objects she carefully selects and renders.   But, there is often a subversive element not always readily apparent. Yet there is nothing that is inadvertent, each brush stroke is intentional and deliberate, each hue perfectly complementing the next.  By manipulating the density of the paint, Hernández’ oils reveal the textural quality of the linen and it is used as a counterpoint to the deceptive simplicity of the forms, frequently in conjunction with a monochromatic palette. 

 This is the paradox inherent in Hernández’ depictions.   It requires (as does a Morandi painting) close inspection to perceive the subtleties of these objects bathed in light, imbued with both historical meaning and personal history, evinced by the symbolism of the setting - framed by a window or framed within a painted niche - to evoke memories.   The apparent limitation of the stasis required by this subject matter does not confine the artist, who infuses it with autobiographical meanings expressing complex feelings rooted in personal experiences.

Vivienne M. Lassman - Independent Curator