Alejandra Collazos is a Colombian-American visual artist who utilizes drawing and textile work to create psychological portraits. She embodies sweetness becoming fragile once exposed to angst that is retrospective of her experience growing up; portraying adolescents in turmoil using distressed, contorted posing and medical imagery, as well as items linked to childhood memories like plushes. Her work addresses the complexity that is growing up with disability or mental illness; adult morbidity disrupting the innocent bliss and naivety in children.

    Inspired by the Harajuku sub-cultures of Yami-Kawaii and Menhera, she brings in themes of cuteness and darkness coinciding, as well as themes of health and wellness using motifs of medical imagery like bandages; Rooted in using  “cute” details to make commentary on mental health and medical health in a more palatable way. 

 

”There is a magic, natural ability of escapism in young people, to not be hindered by logic and adult problems, but these children are crushed under the weight of their problems in reality, experiencing helplessness”