All Eyes on Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

It’s hard to pinpoint what it is exactly that Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski does. An interdisciplinary artist, her ongoing practice tends to the in-between, and those that know the trouble and pleasure there. The result is often a happy, vibrant mixture of drawing, video, performance, and installation, with an abundance of symbolism and colors. Recurring themes include the female body, rainbows, and eyes.

“I’m curious about the aesthetics of holiness and eyes have this divine omnipresent awareness to them,” DeJesus Moleski remarked once in an interview with HuffPost, “something that’s contained all around us and within us. Eyes are symbols of protection, symbols of sovereignty. I place them everywhere to show that they’re totally accessible.”

“I also am interested in cuteness as a sense of armor,” she adds. “Looking at that in caterpillars and butterflies and all of these small creatures that have made themselves appear a certain way to be protected. How do we make ourselves seem larger than life? Cuteness and femininity can be a source of protection and a source of fierceness.”

Growing up, DeJesus Moleski moved around with her family from city to country to city in the American East Coast, South, and Midwest. According to her, spending her most formative years in a constantly shifting landscape has tethered her work to interests in multiplicity, belief systems, and bewilderment. 

Her work has been shown in New Orleans, New Mexico, LA, Miami, the Bay  Area, and Italy. But you can also follow her creations online, via Instagram.