- Diego de la Rosa, a Venezuelan artist based in Toronto, explores his homeland's social crisis through art. He reimagines Venezuelan imagery, using allegory to convey cultural notions and critical theories on frustration, resilience, and societal struggles, creating empathetic, universal messages.
Peggy is thrilled to offer three new paintings by Diego de la Rosa, exclusively on Peggy. The work will go live on Friday, October 27 at 11 a.m. EDT. Before the launch, we sat down with de la Rosa to ask him some questions about his practice.
- Can you describe your practice in a few sentences?
My work is an exploration of the culture of Venezuela, and specifically how it has been impacted by the current political crisis. I rely on symbolism and fantasy to represent and delve into the ideas and sentiments born from this reality. His process involves the collection of found imagery of people and places from Venezuela that are then rearranged into painted narratives full of imaginative elements, such as theatrical atmosphere, fantastical characters, monsters and dreamlike scenarios. My purpose is to create images that universalize issues of oppression, crime and social struggle, evoking empathy in societies so distant from his own.
- Is there an overall theme to the drop?
The paintings that are part of the drop belong to my current series titled "The Night You Love Me". It consists on an epic narrative told through multiple paintings that explores the ideas and dreams of change that led to the civil uprising in Venezuela 6 years ago, and how the failure of this movement changed the citizen's expectations about the country's future. The collection attempts to delve into themes of political struggle, resilience and the rediscovery of hope and joy when faced with failure.
- What materials do you use in your paintings? How long do they take?
My preferred mediums are canvas and (mostly) panel. I tone my pieces with acrylic washes and from then on work with oils until the completion of the piece, which can take me from 1-2 weeks for smaller works to 1-2 months for my bigger paintings.
- Where do you create work?
At my studio, which also happens to be my apartment where I live with my amazing parting and incredible pets. Through the years, I tried to make my studio feels like a comfortable place for people to visit, where then can feel welcomed and cozy as I tell them the stories behind my art.
- If you could collect any artwork on Peggy, what would it be?
Such a hard question to answer! But alas, I'll try to keep it brief with the artists I am interested in: Matthew Schofield, Laura St. Amant, Melissa Doherty and Bianca Roco.
-