WORKROOM 2024 Resident Artist Spotlight: Annamaria Castellucci Cabral

Annamaria Castellucci Cabral is an art educator and mixed media collage artist. She has created sculptural and conceptual pieces from discarded materials and has exhibited around the Chicago area and in galleries along the East Coast. She received her Masters from Columbia College Chicago in Interdisciplinary Arts Education and has been an art educator for 21 years. Annamaria has taught a variety of visual art disciplines to all age groups, and is a CAPE partner in the Collaboration Laboratory (CoLab) program as an art teacher at Taft High School.

During WORKROOM, and tied to her arts integration practice, Annamaria is developing a series of cardboard sculptural organs, exemplifying her focus on internal systems and connectivity. In her classrooms, she encourages students to use everyday materials innovatively, as a way to see potential in the world.

Annamaria writes, “Themes of interconnection and humanity foster a collaborative and inclusive classroom, where each student’s perspective enriches the collective experience. My playful, experimental process models for students, encouraging them to explore, take risks, and value the creative journey as much as the finished product.”

“As a mixed media and collage artist, as well as a mom and educator, I find beauty and potential in discarded and repurposed materials, particularly drawn to the raw qualities of cardboard. This often-overlooked material becomes a canvas for exploring themes of interconnection and humanity.

My work frequently features motifs of internal organs and life’s intricate systems, symbolizing the unseen forces that connect us. Through these biological forms, I create dialogues about our shared human experiences.

I engage playfully and experimentally with my materials, discovering new dimensions and pushing boundaries. Each piece is a journey where creation is as significant as the final artwork. I invite viewers to reconsider the value of discarded items, reflecting on our interconnectedness. My art elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary, revealing hidden beauty and complexity in the simplest materials.”