Scilla Alvarado

Scilla Alvarado is a mixed media mosaic artist and former psychotherapist, who has lived between Luxor and London for 22 years.

I am a mixed media mosaicist from a very mixed heritage and have lived between London and Luxor, Egypt for over 24 years. I have had a career in education and then in the healing arts of psychotherapy, shamanic practice and constellations facilitation and now I am focussing on creating mosaics and facilitating mosaic workshops supporting others’ creativity.  I started creating mosaics at a time in my life when the ground had been taken from under my feet and I went into therapy.  I had disconnected from my inherent creativity and entered the world of mosaics as a path to reconnecting.  I now muse how related the mosaicking and healing processes are both bringing broken or disparate pieces together to create a more coherent, satisfying and integrated whole.

Some of my works tell stories - expressing emotions, acknowledging trauma and highlighting a need for justice and inclusivity, healing, giving a voice to the marginalised and disenfranchised, enjoying a beautiful memory or experience.  Sometimes I start a mosaic because I am intuitively attracted to the materials and colours with no agenda but in the process the meaning emerges.  At other times I create an abstract design just to enjoy combining various materials, shapes and colours.  My mixed heritage and adventurous, traveling spirit has led me to draw on many different traditional and cultural forms of art often using materials collected on my travels, from nature and everyday objects.  Arriving in Luxor and having loved geometry at school I had a whole period of learning how to create Islamic patterns and creating my own style of mosaics from them.

Website: www.scillaalvaradomosaics.com

Instagram: @scillaalvaradomosaics