Today we’d like to introduce you to David Olivera.
Hi David, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Taking stock of experiences is an uncanny game of cat and mouse, there are things memory ascertains without missing a beat while other recollections evade all sense of remembrance. Art-making breathed into my consciousness as air did into my lungs. I lived the whole art school thing as a youth from an urban city such as Miami would, in my own little bubble within a bubble. Origins may be foggy about when or why I do art but I always knew I wanted to make art not because I “had to” but because I wanted to and I can. Today I operate on that foundation: I do art because I want to and can.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In Western philosophy, knowledge is defined by three conditions: truth, belief, and justification. From very early I was aware I wanted to make art. This awareness as blissful and exciting as it may be and still is; is confronted with insecurities, doubts, and unresolved traumas, at this stage of my life the obstacles and challenges are just as vital and important as the success or accomplishments. Embracing challenges stabilize my truth, tests my beliefs, and validates/invalidates my justifications. All this feeds into my creative process.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a painter. Painting is a language in which I study and communicate visions that I am not able to accurately articulate in any other form. Most people express to me how stunning my paintings of water/waves captivate their attention however I dedicate vast resources to creating paintings of historical maritime moments. I purchase a plethora of ephemera, collect unique historical items, and travel to various parts of the world to fully extract the level of authenticity that each painting deserves. From the deep blue ultramarine hues of the Mediterranean Sea to the gray tones of the English atmospheric sky each detail is studied, analyzed, and incorporated into a given piece. The process is definitely a journey in itself.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Over time the concept of risk-taking has changed and morphed to fit the current condition of my life. More often than not, in my experience risks can be as fluid as change. However, I have become a better negotiator with myself and to myself in terms of achieving any set goal. I worked for an art and historical architectural conservation firm for about a decade, it was an eventful, financially safe, and interesting endeavor yet my artwork all along deserved more of me; my time, dedication, and energy. At the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020, I was laid off due to Covid-19 and since then I have taken my life as an artist full steam ahead. Embarking on new risks only this time I stand to focus and be rewarded with personal and professional growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: davideolivera.com
- Instagram: @davideolivera
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidEOlivera
Image Credits
David E. Olivera
