Tanita Veranes

I believe life should be lived as pleasantly as possible — that is its only true meaning. And for that, you don't need much. To see and feel beauty in the everyday, to savour its small joys: to drink fragrant coffee at night in a tropical patio wearing an African turban, waiting for a secret lover; to gaze at the sea and ripe fruit in a bowl; to walk along the beach in a beautiful, full skirt and gather shells; to study the spots on croton leaves at sunset — that is real life. And it is precisely that life — that kind of life — that all my painting is about.

It might seem like such a theme hardly deserves this much attention — let alone an entire body of work — when the world is so full of problems, wars, aggression, and cruelty. But that is precisely why the quiet, harmonious life has become the most essential thing for me to paint: it is my way of saying no, and of keeping something whole inside. I concentrate on the good and the gentle moments, I cultivate them, I build my own beautiful world and carry it onto the canvas — and in doing so, I invite the viewer to do the same: to look at what is pleasant and near, right now, and find their own peace. What if the world became just a little better because someone looked at one of my paintings, thought of something warm, and smiled?

That is why Latin American culture inspires me so deeply: the novels of Jorge Amado speak of the same thing, and Cuban songs always celebrate life, no matter what. For inspiration I also turn often to memories of my life in Havana, of my journey to Brazil and to the island of Itaparica — or, the other way around, I find myself drawn to thoughts of places I have yet to visit. A line from a song, the title of a story by Márquez or Cortázar, an interesting person — anything can become the beginning of a new story…

Tanina Veranes was born in Kazan (Russia) and graduated from the Kazan Art School, department of easel painting. She currently lives and works in Mexico.