Zatista.ca Get to Know Contemporary Artist Diana Rosa

Get to Know Contemporary Artist Diana Rosa

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29Jan

Cuban artist Diana Rosa is a contemporary artist who calls Toronto, Canada home. She is best known for her unique vibrant figurative art style that features tropical elements and bold colors. She uses her lifelong connection to nature and the world around us to inspire her exotic paintings.

Exploring the Artist’s Background

Rosa was born and raised in Cuba, where she developed a profound connection with the natural world around her. A lot of her work is inspired by her unique perspective on how humans interact with the land, animals and each other.

She grew up in a highly artistic family of musicians. She fondly remembers her childhood growing up in a house full of music, surrounded by relatives who performed in bands or sang. She developed a fervent desire to create from a very young age, taking music lessons and beginning to paint at the age of 7.

Rosa studied Art History at the Oriente University in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba and specialized in Curatorial Studies. She worked as a contemporary art curator from 1994-2000, before moving to Canada in 2001.

The Artistic Process

Rosa loves to create with acrylic paints and acrylic mediums. On a typical day, she paints in her studio for the majority of the day, from 10 am until 7 pm. She creates her work using flat layering and bold colors, while steering clear of traditional painting techniques and allowing her imagination and instincts to guide her hand. The bold colors and gestural energy of her brushstrokes evoke the disharmony of the world, while her simplified painting style reflects the trivial and everyday nature of her observations.

Rosa feels that her creation comes from her own depths, not from conventions of classical or fashionable art. She creates with the intention to be raw and entirely honest in her representational art. When asked what she likes about art, she shares that it gives her the possibility to go to different places and have a different vision. Much of her inspiration comes from the beauty of everyday life. She sees beauty differently than others, her perspective is that life is not one hundred percent happy. “Because that’s life and also, because the story is not finished.”

Artistic Influences

When asked about her artistic influences, Rosa cites her childhood spent growing up in Cuba, her relationship with nature being a prevalent influence on her work. She also draws inspiration from modern masters like Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo. Her work is heavily inspired by women’s personal experiences, using autobiographical elements and mixed fantasy and realism to transcend boundaries and create powerful and intimate narratives.

“It takes patience, practice, and loads of exploration to find your identity as an artist. I painted a lot of flowers and landscapes at the beginning. Around 2010 I started my “Tropical Vegetation Series”, which helped me to find myself and redefine my style”

Success as an Artist

When asked how she defines success, Rosa shares: “To me, success is being able to do whatever it takes to lead your passion. I want to be always free, to transmit knowledge and meaningful universal symbolism. I like to express love and unity. In the end, we are here to make a difference and live in harmony with plants and animals on this planet Earth.”