Under the pseudonym “Anis,” the Chilean illustrator and muralist Jocelyn Aracena has earned a prominent place in the urban art scene. Establishing herself as one of the most talented and prolific representatives of the medium, she churns out pieces packed with meaning, symmetry, neon tones, and stylized characters; in which nature and the female form occupy an essential place.
Jocelyn started painting the urban canvas at the age of 12, initially finding it rather difficult since no one in her family was an artist or even had an interested in art. A few years later she took up studying illustration, launching her on a path to eventually produce large and intricate murals.
The biggest challenge she experienced while getting into street art was probably access to materials since they were so difficult and expensive to come by at the time. With her limited resources, she ended up mixing spray paints to get the maximum number of tones of a certain color. She would also collect partially used bottles on paint left on the street that she would be careful to make it last. Painting in this way proved difficult but allowed her to define her own technique with acrylic paints and aerosols.
Anis’ art deals with subjects such as metaphysics, self-knowledge, nature, and the female experience. She says the women she paints could be anyone; an indigenous woman, someone who comes from another continent, a black woman, a white woman, or a Japanese woman. She aims for her characters to be a mixture of all women together, all being one.
To check out Anis’ most recent works, have a look at her Instagram account here: https://www.instagram.com/anis88_cl