SASHA BRITTO’S visceral cover art for her exhibition Gut Feelings is like a woman exploding after years of pent-up frustration.

The 26-year-old describes creating art as “free therapy”, and draws on raw emotion to produce stunning paintings that often depict a mass of naked, intertwining bodies.

“My cultural differences and being a person of colour and a female is always something to paint about,” Britto says.

“And a lot of this exhibition is inspired by the things we can see and feel in those situations but cannot explain.

“Whether that be good or bad. I think as humans, feeling those emotions, trying to figure out why we are here, what it means to you and if this world is actually something you want to be apart of is pretty insane and confusing to me.”

• Some of Sasha Britto’s striking artworks.

Born in Perth with south-east Asian heritage, Britto says the creative fire in her belly is a by-product of her family having lived, or still living, in countries where it is illegal to make art that isn’t supportive of the kingdom or the highest political power.

“Being killed for making art that you like is crazy,” she says.

“I’m big on old cartoons and animation, but I like the adult ones – the ones that mum and dad didn’t want you to watch,” laughs Britto.

“No new AI shit. flip-book classic, frame-by-frame, old-school stuff. The movie La Planete Sauvage by René Laloux and Roland Topor is a masterpiece and Frida Kahlo is also a goddess in my eyes.”

Growing up, Britto was an avid drawer and heavily into art and music, creating artworks with whatever she could lay her hands on.

On turning 16 she started dabbling with henna – the art of using black dye from powdered henna leaves to decorate skin with intricate patterns.

She was hooked and a decade on is part of a group of passionate henna artists at The Henna Leaf in Fremantle Markets, using only organic powder that is free of chemical nasties.

“Henna was an escape for me as a child and a good way to harness whatever undiagnosed neurological networking failure that was up in my brain,” Britto says.

“It started off as free therapy and an easy way to make money and that naturally opened up doors for selling other art.

“Henna is definitely something that I’ve loved and hated before. 

“But now I can’t live without it. I’ve grown to appreciate it more since it’s such a significant art form in my family’s cultures. Much like painting and creating other art.”

Britto’s latest exhibition also features a bunch of her talented arty chums including Fred, Harper Barton, Lachlan Payet, Nick Ireland, Olina Murphy and Papa G.

They were suffering from “imposter syndrome” so she give them a friendly nudge in the right direction.   

Britto says painting keeps her grounded and positive about life.

“A few years ago, and probably now, I felt that I knew nothing about painting, so I started painting. It helps me think and be hopeful,” she says.

“We harbour a lot of feelings in our guts and unfortunately I’m one of those people that experience that a lot.”

But she concedes that sometimes they’re self-induced.

“Gut Feelings came about through a large vomit after an unexpected big night, if I’m going to be honest with you!”

There’s still time to catch Gut Feelings: Sasha Britto and Friends at the PS upstairs art space on Pakenham Street in Fremantle until tomorrow night (Sunday March 17).

by STEPHEN POLLOCK