Clara Levi (they/she) is a queer, disabled, and neurodivergent artist from New Zealand.
They are currently living and working on Wurundjeri land in Naarm (Melbourne, Australia).
Levi’s subjects are rooted in a deep curiosity for the human experience. Inspired by their travels, personal struggles, and the impressionists, the artist’s work is a convergence of our visual surroundings and the unseen. They celebrate how exploring other cultures and philosophies has gradually built a sense of wonder for the small sensory delights in everyday life, and honour for diversity within themself and others. Their use of multi-layered washes and glazing alludes to the multiplicity of culture and experiences which make up our world.
Each piece holds a memory of a particular moment in Levi's life, where they capture their outer surroundings and retrospectively interrogate their inner experiences. In their current practise, Levi reads tarot while creating each piece. With the purpose of spiritually connecting to the physical and to channel this connection into their works, they use the cards to guide them in stylistic choices, conceptual focus, and what to meditate on while painting.
With a continual desire for exploration of themselves, and society at large, Levi’s work is ultimately an ode to the magic in the mundane, and a reminder to nurture curiosity for both the familiar and the foreign.