About Blurb

Rebeka Anastasia Sweetland

I am an Indianapolis-based maker with a BFA in painting and a BA in ceramics. I create large scale, mixed media works and live, play, and work on the Near East Side with my husband, son, 3 cats and English Setter.

Humans are in a constant state of change from birth to life to death. My work documents and expresses my perception of this transitional momentum. I compose imagery that emanates life and contemplates the ethereal here on Earth. There is a sensuality to my work and some possess not nudity, but nakedness. Clothes are worn or not worn for the subject’s comfort and expression of herself.

Spirituality is a component to my work and through the often-painful process of life; we have glimpses of the unknowable nature of the Divine. There is a visceral nature to the way I work, but through this viscous, blood, flesh, and life-giving milk, I feel a conduit to the Divine. Sometimes the more aggressive pieces, the ones with more movement and fragmented rhythm, look like heavy metal sounds.

Boundless questions exist regarding the world around us, which compel the mind to ceaselessly observe, calculate, and react. When left to wander, the ingenuity of the human mind is boundless, which in turn, creates an immeasurable span of diversity. This diversity produces moments of impact. These moments of impact inform our identity and fuel my desire to create. I strive to create works that challenge perspective and inspire others to interact with and relate with my work. As both a woman and a mother, I primarily generate works that revolve around the female experience. My work is a physical documentation of my experience as a woman and a mother creating in an ever-changing world.

I am intrigued with the interweaving of the physical human experience with our inner psyche and as such, I invite the viewer to both see and feel beyond the surface. I explore both personal subjects and narrative topics, but through my medium I make it relatable. My hope is that my audience will not just see myself and my story, but also themselves mirrored back.