The artist first became interested in metaphysics after her father’s death in 1993 and has since pursued studies in astrology, numerology, Hermetic philosophy, the physical healing arts, Santeria, and West AfricanYoruban ancestral worship. Bruzera feels that in order to work with the Divine, one must first recognize it within oneself.
Bruzera began the project by asking each of her subjects to envision themselves as a Goddess and to consider how they would choose to portray themselves as such. The questions were aimed at helping the subjects to develop a pose that symbolized their higher selves. Once the poses, attire and associated higher qualities were chosen, the subjects were encouraged to meditate on the images of themselves as this Goddess for a few moments each day. This meditation was used to ground the women’s energy and to encourage the manifestation of the higher self. Melissa Bruzera painted these images as a memorial to the Goddess within each subject.
Bruzera paints by layering abstract, unregulated patterns that are then covered by layers of glazed color. The artist sees this as an editing of pattern, a natural reaction to years spent designing textiles. The result is ethereal, a picture plane filled with areas of opaque color juxtaposed to whimsical shapes and patterns. All is interspersed with the female form in her powerful stance. Through this method, Bruzera portrays both the reality of the subject as well as elements of fantasy and imagination. She aspires to reveal the Divine in both her paintings and in the lives of her subjects.