[Marieli ](https://www.cohart.com/marielipereira/profile) is a New York based freelance designer and multidisciplinary artist born in Cuenca, a small city situated in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. 

She started painting with her mother at an early age but discontinued this practice when she passed away. After many years she is reconnecting with painting as a vehicle for healing and dealing with loss. She draws most of her inspiration from nature and her work oscillates between the abstract and figurative, aiming to portray the beauty in healing through dreamlike worlds where beings are blooming and transforming like her life itself. She is currently on a journey of exploration, learning and growth as an artist.

IMG_4451.jpeg

#### Tell us about your artistic journey

I have been painting and creating since I was a little child. My mom was the first person who showed me how to hold a paintbrush and encouraged me to explore. She was a multimedia artist and used to teach art to children, especially those with disabilities, in my hometown, Cuenca, where I grew up to be her little assistant. 
Unfortunately, she passed away when I was 7 years old, and this unconsciously made me put away painting. Eventually, I went to college for Fashion Design as my creative medium, which I still do today as a Freelancer. A couple of years ago, I started reconnecting with painting, and it has been an incredibly healing journey. This led me to do an artist residency at Opera d’ Arte in Barcelon, where I was lucky to learn from Patricia Martinez Lloreda, my tutor, who led me to unlock a world of possibilities, and since then I haven’t stopped. 


#### What first drew you to make art?

My mom. I have this intrinsic need to reconnect with her and my roots. I feel that making art now is a way to honor her legacy.


IMG_4375.jpeg

#### What inspires your work, and where do you find your ideas?
Nature and women are huge inspirations, especially women that are close to me. The women in my family and my friends. I feel blessed to be surrounded by amazing, loving, creative women. 
“Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estés is a book that has kept inspiring me since I read it in my late twenties. I tend to portray the wild woman archetype and the relationship between Woman, her intuition, and Nature. 
My personal healing journey and the beauty in healing from loss, from heartbreak—that feeling when you are on the other side and able to feel joy again—are other things that I tend to portray in my work. All of the things that have helped me become the woman that I am today. 
I get most of my ideas from my cultural background, my imagination and dreams, and the internet (of course). I also get inspiration from other artists that I admire.


#### What makes your artistic approach unique?
I think that not having an academic background in fine art is a blessing and a curse. It has definitely given me freedom in my approach in that I don’t limit myself with rules, whether in color or technique. I have not mastered any proper technique in painting, but at the same time that has allowed me to play and use my mistakes as redirection. 
My approach is not always the same: sometimes I draw before and have an idea clear in my mind, sometimes I don’t and the process is fully intuitive. I always try to leave room for intuition and daydreaming. Lately, I’ve been working with watercolor in the beginning stage. There is this magical imagery that emerges from the watercolor washes that shows me a path to work with. I think of it as a conversation.





#### What does a typical day in your studio look like?

Well, my studio is actually a small corner in my bedroom. Since I work in fashion the majority of my time, I can only dedicate a couple of hours to my painting practice and work in smaller blocks of time rather than for a full studio day. But the process is usually very simple. I start by burning palo santo to ground myself, and I always have music in the background to get me in the right mood. I love playing salsa, soul, afrobeats, boleros, and my beloved Brazilian playlist. I’ve been enjoying having my studio in my bedroom; it allows me to see my work in progress and new ideas come as I look at my pieces on different days. 


Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.00.25.png

####  How has your artistic voice evolved since you started creating?


In the beginning, I was actually doing commissioned pet portraits as a way to pick up painting again. And now, my artistic voice has evolved in a way that it is more personal. I get to tell stories and create these worlds where I am able to outwardly express what’s in my mind. 


#### What role does experimentation play in your practice?

My practice is a constant experimentation. Especially since I started reconnecting with art as an adult and without an academic background, every piece is born out of experimentation and a playful way of seeing how mediums react to different surfaces. I am also the type of person who gets bored pretty easily, so I am always open to trying new ways of working and leaving room for exploration.





Screenshot 2025-08-14 at 15.00.11.png

#### How does your cultural background or life experiences influence your work?



I was born and raised in Ecuador and moved to New York 12 years ago. My cultural background is a huge influence on my work for sure. I draw a lot of inspiration from my country’s landscapes, mythology, and nature. For me, it is a way to tap into my roots and step into my own little worlds, as an escape from the chaos of New York.

#### What's the most challenging part of being an artist?

Like many of my artist friends, I think this idea of having to be productive and create work all the time is definitely something I have struggled with. Feeling like you are not enough if you don’t create and produce all the time. We forget that resting is a very important part of creativity, as well.

####  What do you hope people feel or think when they see your work?
I want to transmit softness and joy; my work is very feminine, so most of the time, women are more drawn to it, but I hope I can bring those feelings to everyone regardless.
There is so much grief and heaviness in the world right now, and I hope that my work reminds people that we can tap into our soft side and go inwards. To me, this “soft side” includes having a better relationship with our planet and integrating nature into our lives, leading us to be better human beings.



#### What advice would you give to someone just starting their artistic journey?
I would give the same advice that I constantly try to remind myself, which is that your art is worth it and your art is valid. I sometimes struggle with the thought that my art is not important enough because it’s not fighting any strong social or political battle. My art is deeply personal, but that in itself should be reason enough to keep creating. So, don’t be discouraged by the expectation to send a strong message. Just keep showing up for yourself. I truly believe that art is a crucial tool for healing.



Quisiera ser una flor (framed).jpg

#### What excites you most about where your art is headed?
I don’t have a clear goal or vision of where my art is headed yet. Since I started, I’ve always had the mentality of “let’s see what happens”, and honestly, things have unfolded very organically. I am excited about how the art world is changing in the sense that it is more accessible and open. You don’t necessarily need to pick the institutional path, and there is still a world of possibilities. Cohart and Visionary Projects are amazing examples of platforms and collectives that are changing the art world and providing opportunities and visibility for emerging artists, regardless of their background, and that is very exciting.

________________________________
_Photographer: Federica Borlenghi_

IMG_4367.jpeg

large_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

medium_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

small_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

thumbnail_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

xlarge_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

xxlarge_Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

Blog_Header_QA_Marieli  Pereira.png

NY-based artist from Ecuador blending nature, femininity & healing into dreamlike worlds of transformation


Spotlight: Marieli Pereira on Women, Nature, and the Art of Healing

Related

Spotlight: Andrés Rave on Interconnectivity, Identity, and Belonging

Meet the Galleries: Your Guide to the Best Galleries at Affordable Art Fair NYC

17 Artists We're Excited to See at the Reno Tahoe International Art Show 2025

Spotlight: Gome Alon on Capturing the Essence of Everyday Objects

Cohart Partners with The Affordable Art Fair

How the Cohart Community Is Using the Email Builder

Cohart 101: What is Papier Collé

Ali Hall: Painting California's Coastal Soul

Paper Drop: Jack Carden's Provocative Take on Art

Meet a Select Group of Pro Users from July

Subscribe to our newsletter