Candice Gosta | Maine Arts Fellowship - Portland, Maine

Artist Statement 2021

Candice Gosta (b.1998) was born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. Gosta is a recent graduate of Maine College of Art‘s painting program. During their time in Portland, they partnered with numerous local organizations, including non-profit contemporary arts venue SPACE. Gosta’s work has been included in several group exhibitions at Maine College of Art, SPACE, the Portland Public Library, and most recently, the “Let Equality Shine” mural located at 50 Monument Sq, Portland, ME.

Gosta’s work is heavily influenced by their Afro-Boricua upbringing in New Haven, Connecticut. They use bright and bold colors coupled with both found objects and repurposed materials, to create large-scale paintings, prints, and installations. Gosta’s work relies on the tactility of material to activate their viewers' senses and evoke an emotional response. Gosta’s identity as a Black Latino has inspired them to use their work as a mode of documentation — they describe their work as a diary of complex emotional trauma, memories of childhood and domesticity, and exploration of the gender binary.

Visit Candice Gosta's website.

Work Examples:

"Investigation of Self." Candice Gosta.

"Give Black Folx Their Flowers." Candice Gosta.

"I Want to Feel Pretty Again." Candice Gosta.