{"id":577747,"date":"2026-07-10T00:00:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/577747\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T00:00:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T00:00:19","slug":"ana-elisa-egreja-takes-a-magical-realist-approach-to-migration-in-her-rich-still-lifes-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/577747\/","title":{"rendered":"Ana Elisa Egreja Takes a Magical Realist Approach to Migration in Her Rich Still Lifes \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cImprobable but not impossible\u201d is how Brazilian artist Ana Elisa Egreja<\/a> describes the unexpected companions in her vibrant still lifes. Combining the architectural motifs, animals, and fare common in her native S\u00e3o Paulo with elements from abroad, Egreja positions domestic spaces as sites of change, where migration and cross-cultural pollination come to bear.<\/p>\n

In a new suite of 15 oil paintings, the artist draws on the long tradition of Dutch Golden Age<\/a> still lifes alongside the contrived qualities of collage. Tablescapes filled with fresh flowers and shiny produce also contain cellophane-wrapped snacks and canned goods. Egreja acknowledges flight as a rich symbol of freedom and migration, and birds swirl overhead and perch atop the uncanny objects. There\u2019s also a pair of window pieces, blanketed in 24-karat gold leaf and decorative wrought grilles, which serve as an interstitial spot for the winged creatures to pause as they move between interior and exterior. <\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cInterior with Five Cats at Sunset [Interior com Cinco Gatos ao P\u00f4r do Sol]\u201d (2026), oil on canvas with beaded curtain, 63 x 74 3\/4 inches<\/p>\n

Egreja\u2019s focus on bridging these divides emerges in her renditions of sunsets, too, with their bold gradients rippling from crimson to amber across living spaces. This glowing feature backdrops both \u201cInterior with a Jaguar and Sun Conure,\u201d in which a forlorn feline lounges on an Art Deco sofa, and \u201cInterior with Five Cats at Sunset.\u201d The latter also contains a sculptural element as the vibrant light streams through a beaded curtain mounted to the painting\u2019s edge.<\/p>\n

Taking a magical realist approach to migration, Egreja questions the hard boundaries we perceive between private and public space, wildness and domesticity, as well as international borders. She also renders these lines illegible to our non-human counterparts, nodding to an ongoing organic exchange between seemingly disparate entities.<\/p>\n

The works shown here are part of the artist\u2019s first solo exhibition in the U.S., titled The Flight of Color, which runs from July 16 to September 5 at Jessica Silverman<\/a> in San Francisco. Explore more of the artist\u2019s practice on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cInterior with a Jaguar and Sun Conure [Interior com On\u00e7a-Pintada e Jandaias-Sol]\u201d (2026), oil on canvas, 63 x 74 3\/4 inches<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cWindow with Scarlet Tanagers and a Golden Sky [Janela com Ti\u00eas-Sangue e C\u00e9u de Ouro]\u201d (2026), oil and 24 karat gold leaf on canvas, 31 1\/2 x 31 1\/2 inches<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cRed Table with Chinoiserie, Macaws, and Parrots [Mesa Vermelha com Chinoiserie, Araras, e Papagaios]\u201d (2026), oil and 24 karat gold leaf on canvas, 47 1\/4 x 86 5\/8 inches<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cStill Life with Embroidered Fabric [Natureza Morta com Tecido Laranja]\u201d (2026), oil and fabric on canvas, 11 3\/4 x 15 3\/4 inches<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cWindow with Parrots and a Golden Sky [Janela com Papagaios e C\u00e9u de Ouro]\u201d (2026), oil and 24-karat gold leaf on canvas, 31 1\/2 x 47 1\/4 inches<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cMagenta Still Life (Sunset) [Natureza Morta Magenta]\u201d (2026), oil and 24-karat gold leaf on canvas, 14 1\/8 x 23 5\/8 inches<\/p>\n

Do stories and artists like this matter to you?<\/strong> Become a Colossal Member<\/a> now, and support independent arts publishing.<\/p>\n