Joya: AiR / Danielle Petti / CAN

“The silence, save for the breeze and birds. The undistracted noticing of the surroundings, up in the night sky and down at my feet. The intimate knowledge and care of the land from my hosts. These were three great takeaways from my stay at Joya. I came to Joya with the intent to play, experiment, observe, and forage.  I came with just a paintbrush and a few earths from my other travels and so the scale of my work surprised me. I allowed my work to take up space. Forced to be as resourceful as I could, I found earth and rock to move, clay to paint with, and wood to paint on. I created in the sun and for the sun. I created with the elements and then returned the work to the elements. I left content with the amount of play and deep thought, and with exchanges with artists and writers I’m lucky to have met”. 

Danielle Petti

Danielle Petti has a BFA from Toronto University and I will begin her MFA this coming September 2023. She has worked as a freelance photographer for 10 years but after living abroad in Italy, she found a narrower focus and direction for her artwork. She forages for rocks in nature, grinds them down into a paint, and often uses handmade papers to depict concepts inspired by motherhood, human origins, and sustainability. Her work falls within categories of environmental and conceptual art, with some figurative pieces as well. The process of making paint from found materials is hugely important to the overall meaning of her pieces as they draw attention to the materiality of the paint and to how the earthen materials are interconnected to all bodies.