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Mirella Salamé


@fertilepalms




mirella salamé (ella) is a lebanese self-taught painter, performance & installation artist among other practices. working with left-overs and natural findings, she uses reclaimed or self-sufficient material such as earth pigments, wood, paper, seeds, plants, menstrual blood and her own body, together with reclaimed immaterial such as herstory (rather than history), time/memory and dreams… her works remind and question our belonging in regard to how far we have been put from mother earth in today's system. mirella salamé has been signing “ella” for the past decade, in reverence to the feminine just mentioned, and her work has been categorized as ecofeminist. she however prefers to escape labels, and sees herself as a womanimal: a woman who's natural force to express & create is intuitive, instinctive, and strongly tied to survival.






How do you stay productive/inspired:
i don't focus on "staying productive". if anything i'm fond of more rest than producing just to produce: not forcing anything, but rather just being and staying open for the flow when it comes, naturally. if one is an authentic artist they will always be productive, but this does not mean produce insanely everyday of the year, this means you would spontaneously produce when you feel it. and periods of non-production are not only normal but necessary for the bigger process. as for inspiration it is literally everywhere, attention is key.

Morning routine:
Some deep breaths + some cat stretches + water + a round of sun salutation (surya kriya), feeding the cats, making tea.

Self-care tips:
Don't be over judgmental of yourself / keep in touch with the child within / learn from the plants and trees and animals / remember that your breath is a great intrinsic medicine / always be kind but in respect to your boundaries / imagine you have roots whenever possible / move your body often let it be the animal it wants to be / dare to journey into dreams & visions and don't live the dull superficial life that is within the system, it can weigh on you and cage you, open up the windows to other realities often.

What is your creative process:

it depends on the medium, as i express through performance, installations, writing, public interferences, sculptures and painting. in painting the process starts from scratch as i go on a journey to find and forage the pigments first, harvesting them from the earth's body; i explore the interconnectedness of my body and hers in this dance, and i feel honored to touch her and come into this intimate relationship with her. after she offers the pieces i turn them into paint (there is grinding and swifting that goes here, and then including the binder which is often gum acacia, a tree resin.) as a self-sufficient artist i don't think i ever bought a canvas, i always work on reclaimed surfaces, either wooden boards or recycled paper.










Artists that inspire you:
To pick a couple of artists i'd say egon schiele & ana mendieta.

Movies:
 So many but maybe i can say andrei tarkovsky is one of my favorite directors.

Songs:
 I listen to many genres depending on my mood and as long as it is good music. i love billie holiday, john coltrane, nina simone, jao gilberto, karen dalton, leonard cohen, arvo part, also ceremonial medicine music... it might take a whole page if i keep going:)

Food: What looks like food and not some processed canned mass-made product. and i don't eat animals nor fancy/unethical shipped goods.

books:
 So many, currently reading "thus spoke the plant" by dr. monica gagliano


A place:
My bed.

Clothing brand: None really. i like vintage and second-hand items, no matter the brand, it is the piece that speaks to me.

Jewelry: Not a specific one, it is either i like a piece or not, and if i do it's always handmade or antique.































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