Anayelsi Velasco Sanchez is a Venezuelan-born artist based in Washington, D.C., whose work explores the intersections of justice, liberation, mental health, and identity. Known for her bold use of vibrant colors, she navigates both figurative and abstract art to express her deep commitment to social change and personal healing. For Velasco Sanchez, color is not just a visual element, but a powerful tool of resistance and empowerment. Through both abstract forms and the human figure, her work challenges viewers to engage with the pressing issues of our time, prompting reflection and dialogue.She is self-taught and has been painting professionally since 2012. Her work has been showcased in places like Orlando City Hall, The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the Venezuelan Embassy, and in galleries such as Orlando’s CityArts Factory and Dc’s Dupont Underground. She’s also been featured in numerous multi-artist shows in both Washington, DC and Orlando, FL. Her first solo exhibit ran from September thru December, 2023 at The Festival Center in Adams Morgan, DC.
Available For Purchase
16×20 inches
$370
24×36 inches
$915
24×36 inches
$915
14×18 inches
$255
features the Janelle Monae lyrics, “Die in church, live in jail. Say her name, twice in hell
“Independence Day” is a bold and vibrant painting that captures the essence of freedom as a society. The broken down police car serves as a powerful metaphor for the broken system that allows police brutality to continue unchecked. The colorful human figures dancing on top of the car represent the diverse communities that have been affected by police violence, specifically Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. The fireworks exploding overhead add to the celebratory mood of the painting, highlighting the joy and relief that comes from being free from state-sanctioned violence and murder.
The painting “Overcome By Sorrow” is a portrayal of the human experience of grief. The artist has captured the emotions of a woman who is struggling to cope with the overwhelming pain and suffering in her life. A powerful palette of rich colors help to convey the depth of her emotions – deep red symbolizing the power of her despair. The woman in the painting is not only dealing with her own mental health issues, but also with the constant onslaught of pain and injustice happening in her country. The painting captures the weight of these burdens, as she struggles to hold herself up against the weight of the world.
“I Am Beautiful (Outside the White Gaze)” captures the essence of self-love, self-acceptance, and healing for Women of Color. The soft orange background with vines moving around the canvas portrays a calming and soothing atmosphere that is essential for healing. The centerpiece of the painting is a profile of a woman whose features are striking and unique, representing the beauty that exists beyond white European beauty standards. The painting’s message is clear: a Woman of Color’s eyes can be opened to her own beauty when she learns to see herself as she truly is, outside of racist beauty standards that exclude her.
11×14 inches
$200
11×14 inches
$200
“Isolation” attempts to show the essence of the COVID-19 pandemic in a powerful and emotional way. It depicts the loneliness and loss that many people have experienced during this global health crisis. The artist has portrayed the feeling of being cut off from the world, with the use of dark, earthy colors, rough textures, and a sole figure. The minimal detail in the background also serves to emphasize the starkness of the figure’s isolation. The painting serves as a poignant reminder of all that has been lost and could be lost as this pandemic continues to affect people across the globe.
12″×24″
$340
The painting “Like Monarch Butterflies” captures the complexities of our world and the struggles of migration and immigration. The soft and jewel-toned backdrop of the painting is disrupted by the unnatural border lines, serving as a reminder of the ways in which humans have drawn arbitrary lines across the land, often with little regard for the people who are affected by them. The way that the human forms in the painting float between the borders like Monarch Butterflies, a popular symbol of the beauty of migration, adds to the sense of both impermanence and resiliency that often characterizes the experience of migration.
11×14 inches
$200
This painting is asking viewers to confront the harsh reality of our overconsumption of oil and its impending destruction of our planet. It is a poignant reminder that the choices we make today will impact the world we leave behind for future generations.
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Sold Paintings
(the following pieces are sold. Please email contact@anayelsi.com purchase prints)
11”x14”
“Chismosa” shows a feminine and empowering practice that has been misunderstood for a long time. The woman in the painting literally engages in the act of “spilling the tea” or gossiping, which has often been seen as negative. “Chismosa,” celebrates the word and its meaning, reclaiming it from its negative connotations and honoring the tradition of women supporting and protecting one another through gossip. From the church pews to the boardroom, many women are familiar with the whispered warnings of other women about which men to trust and which men are dangerous. This protective act is sometimes the only line of defense a disempowered woman may have. To quote Paula Pacheco Soto, “Chismosas, or gossipers, are the aunties, the mothers, las comadres: the women in the neighborhood. They are the everyday characters and matriarchs whose discussion of other people’s lives and actions is a crucial component of their survival. […] chisme is also a transgenerational experience and tradition that serves to create safety and community through secrecy.”
This piece was painted while the artist listened to a collection of Leonard Cohen songs, and contemplated the grief and anger so many of us are feeling in today’s world. The sense of endless darkness, and the questioning of whether we’ve been abandoned by our Creator. This was inspired by his song, “You want it darker”
Commissioned by the National Latina Institute For Reproductive Justice to represent the Dobb’s Decision to overturn Roe V. Wade
11”x14”
“Equilibrium” depicts the struggle to maintain balance in the face of mental illness or trauma. The sage green background provides a calming effect, while the precariously stacked half circles symbolize the effort that is required to maintain one’s mental well-being. The top half circle in the stack teeters on the edge of falling while the four bottom half circles are only held together by a single needle piercing through all of them from top to bottom, emphasizing the fragility of the stability they represent. Equilibrium encourages viewers to reflect on their own struggles and to seek out the support they need to maintain their own sense of balance and calm.
Commissioned by the National Latina Institute For Reproductive Justice to represent Roe V. Wade passing in 1973
“People inspire me. I don’t think they realize how truly amazing they are and I love watching the way the people around me interact and express themselves. I love those special moments when I see “average” people be inspiring in their own unique way. It’s beautiful.” – AnaYelsi Velasco Sanchez
Media
WTOP.COM: DC artist’s paintings were stolen, but she refuses to call police
Radio Botellón: Salvada por el arte #37 Terceros Lugares
El Tiempo Latino: Embajada de Venezuela presentará una exhibición artística en Washington
Art by AnaYelsi R. Velasco Sanchez 