Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolina Garcia.
Apia, before we jump into specific questions about your art, why don’t you give us more details about you and your story.
First of all, thank you so much for this interview. My real name is Carolina Garcia, but I am known by my nickname, Apia. I am a visual artist. I work mainly with acrylics and have a passion for developing new and innovative techniques and ways to apply the paint to convey the message I want to deliver. I love creating, but most of anything, I see art as a language that connects my inner self with the outworld and it is through art that I have found inner peace and healing to the most difficult experiences life has thrown at me.
My main goal is to showcase the metaphysical transformation that occurs when you can see the light in a dark place and, with that, highlight human resilience against adversity.
I began painting at an early age. The oldest painting my parents have still hanging in their home is from when I was three and it’s an oil painting on linen. My grandmother was an artist, and I guess she saw some talent in me. I was really lucky. Later my art teacher in HS was open to creativity. She allowed me to create freely anything I wanted and to use that time anywhere within the school to create. It was a treasure! During HS I did murals and created work for some school exhibits.
Many thought I was going to pursue the arts. But by the time I chose a profession, I had doubted that I could make a living from art and achieve the independency I valued. I didn’t want to find myself needing someone to support me. I graduated HS at 16 and was very pragmatic about my decisions. I ultimately decided to follow a more traditional path and chose engineering following my dad’s footsteps. I was really happy working as such and enjoyed all the years I dedicated to that profession, but when my life took an unexpected turn, it was art that saved me.
My son was diagnosed with several conditions that affected different organs and it took over ten specialties under the supervision of a geneticist to discover what was happening. Some things are still a mystery, though. Some years passed and he was also diagnosed with autism, which I call “The cherry on top.” So after about four years trying to reconcile work with this new life, I decided to leave everything to help him thrive. It wasn’t a decision I took on my own as it meant restructuring many things at the family level. My husband and I are equal partners and together we analyzed in detail if he or I would be the best fit for the job. And I have to say, giving up that part of my life was hard. Learning all the abilities, I needed to fulfill what I wanted to do took a great deal of learning and sacrifice. It wasn’t easy. Little did I know how rewarding it would be.
In the process of caring and learning to be the mom my son needed, and being that he was at the time completely non-verbal, I discovered that art was my son’s language too!! And we started communicating through drawings and paintings. This alone opened up a world that at the time, I didn’t even expect. Guessing around everything he needed or wanted was difficult and art gave me clarity. I needed to work on ensuring his self-esteem was high. I am a huge believer that all obstacles can be conquered when you truly love and value yourself. Because you don’t work for others, you work towards your development. I also knew that as the name entails, self-esteem needs to be born within. So I needed to provide the environment for that. For him to accomplish challenging things. The “good jobs” or any other encouraging thing that I could verbalize were not going to cut it. So through paintings and drawings, I was able to discover more about his inner world, his motivations, what would be things that he would feel accomplishment for. He is now 11, happy, confident, proud of himself. He is also semi verbal and art is still in the center of our relationship. I don’t see that changing, ever.
I also rely on my art to measure my stress and happiness levels. At the moment in life, when prognoses were least favorable, I thought I was never going to be able to be happy again, only content. Oh boy! How that has changed too. I learned more about happiness than I ever expected to.
With all of this, it was inevitable for me to share what I was doing, and I did so, through Instagram. Without even noticing, the artist that has always been in me came out. Triumphant. And so, I became a professional artist.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has certainly not been a smooth path. When I started traveling this road, I didn’t even know which direction it was going to take. But clarity came with time. Starting any new endeavor is hard and I had no contacts or knowledge about how to sell my work or even how to present it for galleries. I had no idea where to begin. And here is where social media played a role because it has connected me with other artists that shared their stories and provide me with very valuable advice.
And today, even though not free of challenges, I am happy with what has come from all of this. And I have my son to thank for this.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
If I were to summarize my work, I would categorize my work as emotional art. And it manifests in three distinct styles. Sometimes is puzzling to see an artist working on abstract, realism, and a cartoonish style altogether. The truth is that all three serve a purpose and have a function. And I have divided them in 3 neverending series:
1. Finding the light: This is my main work and has to do with resilience. And are a series of abstract paintings that represent the journey and the achievement of finding the inner strength to overcome whatever comes. Allowing not only survival but the ability to live happily. It is a personal search, but at the same time, the manifestation of light is transparent and can represent different things depending on the viewer and their needs. It showcases a metaphysical process of inner transformation, where you find your power.
2. Hi and Hello World: is a cartoonish style world I created, as a way of liberating myself and my family. It is an inclusive place where everything is given and set for everyone to understand one another. Communication is the key to the concept. The main characters are Hi and Hello. I thought it was fitted to have the greetings as names in a world that is so welcoming. One of the main characteristics is the autogenerated signs. They display a message in whatever manner the recipient would best understand it.
3. Imaginary travels: These are figurative paintings done in various mediums and formats, including miniatures (some are so small that fit in the tip of my fingers). Due to my son’s condition travel became difficult, and for me to fulfill the need of knowing other lands and places, this series was developed. I started an ongoing collaboration with photographers (amateur and professional) from all around the globe via Instagram simply by calling people to use #colormeapia. The miniatures became a part of it as I was able to take the studio with me to any therapy session’s waiting room.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Nowadays, any location is good to start if what you want to start is your true passion. Challenges will always come and the inner strength is the only thing that will keep you afloat. Thanks to the internet and especially social media, we live in a world that is more connected than ever. The possibilities are endless and at the same time, can also feel overwhelming. That is why I feel the commitment needs to come from within.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.apiaart.com
- Email: contact@apiaart.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/apia_art
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