Kingdom of Thorns

Fairy tales represented a vital aspect of my childhood but never escaped me even after my adolescent years. As a child, I often correlated myself to the young girls depicted within each fantastical narrative. As an adult, I continue to find myself fascinated by the young girls and fantasy elements in each story; however, I am also enticed by the strength of the young girls as they overcome the obstacles blocking them from achieving their "happily-ever-afters".

I mirror the innocence of my childhood in my series of paintings while simultaneously combining my experiences as a woman through the depiction of the female figure. Adorned in contemporary clothing, the figures relate to the present era, yet, they suggest their fairy tale origin through action in addition to their surroundings. My modern interpretation continues their fantastical narrative as each moment presented appears believable yet enchanting.

Brianna Angelakis (b. 1990) was born in Massachusetts and moved to Florida in her late teen years where she currently lives and works. She graduated from Flagler College with a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and a B.A. in English in 2013, and she is currently working toward her M.F.A. in Painting with an assistantship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL.

In the past few years, her paintings have exhibited internationally in museums and galleries with critical acclaim. Her works have been published internationally including books such as Manifest's International Painting Annual 4, Semi-Permanent and Creative Quarterly. She is also a featured artist in the beinArt Collective which includes an international network of highly skilled figurative artists with a fascination for surreal and imaginative themes.