Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Osorio.
Carolyn, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I wish I could tell you that I’ve always had a clear vision that I’ve never wavered from, but life has (on more than one occasion) found a way to mess up those well-thought-out plans. I spent most of my life convinced I wasn’t a very good artist at all. Emphasis was always being placed on replication and realism and my drawing ability always felt like it fell short. The way we teach artists is still very catered to the traditional canvas-on-white-gallery-walls structure and I never quite felt like I belonged there.
I struggled with how to get out of the conventional modes of “art” that most artists are pushed into and found a calling in more practical, albeit less glamorous art forms. After I earned a degree in Fashion Design in LA I moved to Brooklyn to get a degree in both Fine Arts and Art History from Pratt Institute. Being in New York was by far the most fulfilling period in my life and I explored not just the history of our art forms but also learned necessary practical skills in the art of art-making. After I graduated I had hoped to stay, grow old, and die in New York, however, as life often does, family necessitated a move back to Southern California, rent necessitated day jobs, and just like that, I wasn’t engaging in any art making at all. By not being creative I lost bits of myself along the way and I won’t deny it was a rough couple of uncreative years.
Thankfully, somewhere in the middle of it all I finally had that ah-ha moment and realized I wasn’t being true to myself. I left behind the jobs, people, and expectations that didn’t make me happy and decided to start over fresh last summer. I was fortunate to get an artist studio space at La Bodega Gallery in Barrio Logan and began building a business based solely on creating. Barrio Bureaus is an artist studio dedicated to making our most commonplace and necessary items – furniture – into art. From this, I’ve also started the curation and production of BAM | Barrio Art Mart, a monthly art market showcasing other local artists and makers who work with non-traditional art forms and mediums.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I find it baffling how much millennials are obsessed with personalization (from unicorn hair to elaborate nail art to insane phone cases) and yet almost all of us fall back on that plain dependable stalwart, IKEA, to decorate our most personal spaces. The lack of options for home décor and art furniture along with the (often) high price tag attached to what is available means most of us have pretty boring apartments.
I wanted to change that by offering furniture that is as unique, colorful, and beautiful as every other part of our personalized lives – and at a price that won’t break our tiny bank accounts. I work exclusively with genuine solid wood pieces and (depending on damage and wear) strip, sand, and refurnish old vintage pieces into modern works that are far sturdier and longer lasting than most of our IKEA favorites. I find inspiration in everything from Yayoi Kusama and Andy Warhol to graffiti to Loteria cards. After showing my work a few times during Pop-Up Shops and Flea Markets, I was fascinated by how many people struggled to think of furniture pieces as “art” since they aren’t a traditional canvas and most of them can’t be hung on the wall.
This got me thinking about other local artists I know who work in non-traditional mediums and also struggle with what it means to be considered a “real” artist. From jewelry designers to children’s books creators to fashion designers to furniture makers – there seemed to be a vast quantity of creatives that galleries and art shows were often leaving out. This inspired me to start BAM | Barrio Art Mart, a curated art show and market dedicated to showcasing artists, makers, and designers working in non-traditional art forms. I hope that through BAM I can challenge people to realize the art and creativity in every little part of their lives while also supporting local artists who are thinking outside the canvas.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
Being true to yourself is key. We’re told all these specific ways to be a “real” artist or have a “real” style and learning to let go of those prescribed norms, especially if you work in a different medium, is fundamental to creating work that’s truly yours. It’s easy to feel like you aren’t good enough or talented enough because of your drawing ability or color usage or even your medium of choice but that’s all just noise from other people with other visions. It’s hard sometimes but always be unapologetically you.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
For online purchases, Barrio Bureaus is on Etsy | www.etsy.com/shop/barriobureaus
Private appointments are available for custom orders or viewings | barriobureaus@gmail.com
BAM | Barrio Art Mart is a monthly event happening every second Saturday during Barrio Art Crawl. The next BAM is happening Saturday, May 12th at La Esquina Barrio Logan (2222 Logan Ave. San Diego, CA 92113) and will feature select furniture pieces from the Barrio Bureaus studio in addition to the work of local artists, designers, and makers.
For more information on BAM, please visit the event page | www.facebook.com/events/160790384628198/
Contact Info:
- Address: 2222 Logan Ave. San Diego, CA 92113
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/barriobureaus
- Email: barriobureaus@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/barriobureaus/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/barriobureaus/
Image Credit:
Carolyn Osorio
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