"The Corner” tells a story about resilience and survival. Within the image, we are presented with two characters placed on opposing sides of a lonely alley. The scenery, dark and dismal, camouflages the menacing figure resting against a brick wall, while the boy on the right projects divine light from its body that brightness the shadowy setting. The fantastical elements of the scene, such as the intense colours, theatrical atmosphere and the otherworldly appearance of the foreground characters, serve to illustrate the hidden socials narratives revolving around his fellow countrymen, while also delving into theories of frustration and resilience to analyze the different ways in which catastrophe has altered the Venezuelan’s perception of each other. These sentiments range from the hopeful belief in the Venezuelan civilians as an agent of positive change, to the notion that they are enemies that one must confront in order to survive.

Diego de la Rosa

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Diego de la Rosa is a Venezuelan artist that is currently living and working in Toronto. His work explores the cultural impact of the social crisis in his native country, and relies on symbolism to explore 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 giants, theatrical atmosphere, and fantastical characters. The source imagery represents the perceived reality, while the painting tactics embody the values and ideas that are employed to create a reading for these circumstances. The use of allegory in his paintings provides an artistic translation of social concepts similar to the interpretative approach of an anthropological study. He uses these painted scenarios to illustrate both the cultural notions surrounding the crisis, and critical theories on frustration, resilience, spatial inhibition and the desire for power, which he employs to analyze the subject at hand. Through his work, De la Rosa creates images that universalize issues of oppression, crime and social struggle, evoking empathy in societies so distant from his own.