My inquiry begins with an exploration of the mother wound—a deep emotional trauma stemming from the absence of nurturing maternal care or a disconnection from the mother figure. Initially directed towards my own mother, my resentment quickly turned inward, into a rejection of (my own) femininity and biology.
The recurrent motif of the disembodied witch nose is the figure of my mother; a grotesque and haunting presence, seen through an empathetic eye, often birthing a pustule-ridden being with an oversized head (me!). This gaudy symbol extends beyond her, as representation of the historical trauma that trickles down and influences my intimate life. Maybe yours, too. Somatization, the ways in which our emotional space manifests physically, is an important piece to all of this. Stress rashes, flushed cheeks, brittle nails, blindness, ulcers, cancer...
My practice, which I consider a big part of somatization, draws some inspiration from artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman, and Nathalie Djurberg, resonating with themes of trauma, femininity, horror, embodiment, and displacement.
BIO
Cluessa’s work explores somatization—the manifestation of psychological events on the body, where traumas ooze, flake, and erupt in grotesque yet beautiful forms. Her interest in this phenomenon is deeply rooted in personal experience, shaped by the mental abuse and rejection she endured from her mother. These early traumas triggered physical symptoms—migraines, heart palpitations, and rashes requiring medical treatment. Drawing on the ancient humoral theory, she probes how the body’s balance of four humors—black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm—was once used to explain both physical and mental health, assigning emotions and temperaments to bodily fluids. In particular, she focuses on how this theory became a tool for marginalization, especially in women, diagnosing everything from melancholia to "hysteria," and reinforcing societal norms that restricted women’s bodies and minds. Through visceral materials and dark humor, Cluessa’s work interrogates the intersections of trauma, memory, and the female body, challenging harmful portrayals and offering space to confront the embodied legacies of these historical frameworks—while reflecting on the weight of inherited pain.
A graduate of Florida State University’s BFA program and SUNY New Paltz’s BA in Psychology, Cluessa’s work has been shown at venues including Art Fields SC, 621 Gallery, Moisturizer Gallery, and Sl8 Gallery in Gainesville, FL. In Tallahassee, she volunteered as Art Director for Cat Family Records and curated off-site exhibits in partnership with 621 Gallery. She has received the Ann Kirn Scholarship, the Susan and Mark Messersmith Sculpture Award, and, in 2022, her collaborative film Fire in the Meadows received the Audience Choice Best Documentary Short Film award at the Tallahassee Film Festival.
The recurrent motif of the disembodied witch nose is the figure of my mother; a grotesque and haunting presence, seen through an empathetic eye, often birthing a pustule-ridden being with an oversized head (me!). This gaudy symbol extends beyond her, as representation of the historical trauma that trickles down and influences my intimate life. Maybe yours, too. Somatization, the ways in which our emotional space manifests physically, is an important piece to all of this. Stress rashes, flushed cheeks, brittle nails, blindness, ulcers, cancer...
My practice, which I consider a big part of somatization, draws some inspiration from artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Frida Kahlo, Cindy Sherman, and Nathalie Djurberg, resonating with themes of trauma, femininity, horror, embodiment, and displacement.
BIO
Cluessa’s work explores somatization—the manifestation of psychological events on the body, where traumas ooze, flake, and erupt in grotesque yet beautiful forms. Her interest in this phenomenon is deeply rooted in personal experience, shaped by the mental abuse and rejection she endured from her mother. These early traumas triggered physical symptoms—migraines, heart palpitations, and rashes requiring medical treatment. Drawing on the ancient humoral theory, she probes how the body’s balance of four humors—black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm—was once used to explain both physical and mental health, assigning emotions and temperaments to bodily fluids. In particular, she focuses on how this theory became a tool for marginalization, especially in women, diagnosing everything from melancholia to "hysteria," and reinforcing societal norms that restricted women’s bodies and minds. Through visceral materials and dark humor, Cluessa’s work interrogates the intersections of trauma, memory, and the female body, challenging harmful portrayals and offering space to confront the embodied legacies of these historical frameworks—while reflecting on the weight of inherited pain.
A graduate of Florida State University’s BFA program and SUNY New Paltz’s BA in Psychology, Cluessa’s work has been shown at venues including Art Fields SC, 621 Gallery, Moisturizer Gallery, and Sl8 Gallery in Gainesville, FL. In Tallahassee, she volunteered as Art Director for Cat Family Records and curated off-site exhibits in partnership with 621 Gallery. She has received the Ann Kirn Scholarship, the Susan and Mark Messersmith Sculpture Award, and, in 2022, her collaborative film Fire in the Meadows received the Audience Choice Best Documentary Short Film award at the Tallahassee Film Festival.