Anna Weyant’s (b. 1995, Calgary, Canada) figurative paintings and still lifes bring to mind childhood bedtime stories and nursery rhymes. Both familiar and ominous, Weyant's versions of these stories feature young female characters trapped in tragicomic narratives. Their stories take unexpected twists at each turn, illustrating complex personalities and attitudes, and an awareness of life's irony. Often autobiographical, Weyant’s characters are amusing and endearing, though simultaneously moody and dark. Her palette prioritizes dark greens and yellows, neutral hues that highlight juxtapositions of humor and solemnity, rebellion and repression. She references an eclectic range of art historical influences, from seventeenth-century Dutch painters like Gerrit van Honthorst to contemporary artists Lisa Yuskavage and Will Cotton, and pop culture references such as New Yorker cartoons, Bugs Bunny, and the Grinch.
Weyant received her BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. Weyant’s work was the subject of the solo exhibitions Loose Screw at Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA (2021) and Welcome to the Dollhouse at 56 Henry, New York, NY (2019). Her work has been featured in group exhibitions, including Life Still, C L E A R I N G, New York, NY (2020); Sit Still, Anna Zorina Gallery, New York, NY (2020); Humanmakes, Recharge Foundation, Singapore (2020); Historicity, Ochi Projects, Los Angeles, CA (2019); Of Pursism, Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami, FL (2018); and Circles without Breaks, Local Projects, Long Island City, NY (2017).