Carolina Acosta

Grief, the passing of loved ones and other life lessons are my way to create work that deals with (or depicts) memory and nostalgia. Growing up within a Hispanic family, a strong emphasis on family values and familial relationship were established early. My family became a source for searching for my own identity and protection against the hardships of life. Once I began losing some of my most important family members, my perception of life and family values changed. Painting has served as a way for me to continue having a strong connection with my loved ones and portraying the essence of family. With figures as focal points, I use a variety of textural techniques to create a surreal hybrid of the real and the imaginary. Within my process, the textural techniques serve as an extension of the presence of the figures and are disrupted by the reality in the form of line work. Figures are presented with symbolic objects of their past and present that portray important aspects of their lives. My work allows my audience to experience a familial intimacy and makes a pathway for them to connect with their own memories.