It is an innate desire to be held, to be intimate, to be loved and understood. Whether platonic, familial, or romantic; my artwork explores the feeling of human connection. Comfort is an attribute of connection. To deliver that feeling, my works feature motifs such as fabric and warmth. My artwork utilizes the human body to convey stories about connection due to its intimate nature.
Art is therapeutic through the practice of sublimation; expelling inner turmoil, urges, and distress and redirecting it into forms of art. I began narrative artwork around the start of high school, so a major influence was the isolation of the pandemic. After that, my art was a method of navigating through the emotions of unhealthy relationships, and what followed were explorations of my childhood as well as abandonment.
My work has evolved over the years and into a form of a desire for healthy connection, yet it does not read exactly as such. Repeated, negative events during pivotal years of adolescence, have become deep-rooted into my psyche. Those traumas linger in the unconscious mind when pursuing connection and ultimately are reflected in my art. Through my art, I hope to achieve connection with the viewer whether it be through nostalgia, resonance, or through thought-provoking conversations.
Leilani DeStefano, 2026