The morning after she arrived in Miami, Ana Silva began painting. It was her first time in the United States, but she felt at home with the weather, foliage, and local Latino community, almost as if she were back in Angola. Building upon a canvas she had begun creating in Angola, out of lace and embroidered elements, she began to portray a woman who stands tall and faces the viewer, surrounded by animals and plants. “The woman, mother nature, goddess of fertility, sets herself up as the protector of this nature that is tending to disappear,” Silva says.

Female figures and nature have always been present in the artist’s work, reflecting her memories of growing up on a farm, witnessing life and local ecologies upended by rebel groups and civil war, and navigating intergenerational traumas as a woman simultaneously burdened with expected societal roles—as provider and caregiver. The painting, part of an ongoing series titled Source, was above all a way for Silva to explore a new technique.

Using lace as a kind of stencil, she applied paint and glitters through the intricate patterns—in effect imitating the intricacies of embroidery. “In Miami, I found a new kind of painting,” she says. She felt encouraged by studio visits with other artists and curators, who she felt were more approachable and constructive in their feedback than curators in Europe. “The discussions are more direct and we talk very quickly about the works without going into side conversation,” she says. “And rarely in such a short space of time have I come across such a concentration of collectors and institutions.”

That month, she was also preparing to exhibit at Frieze New York, so finding a balance between meeting deadlines and honoring her creative vision was critical. “This experience really gave me some courage to continue this work and be sure that what I’m doing is important,” she says. “It really gave me the energy I needed at the time.”