Following her London debut in the Embassy of Mexico’s Culture Pop-Up, we had the opportunity to interview Lorena Camarena Osorno and gained an insight on Mexican Artists in Mexico.
“I feel so fortunate to be living in Mexico City as it’s always in transformation!”
– Lorena Camarena Osorno on the art scene in Mexico
Tell us about your artistic journey. What first drew you to creating art?
Well, I was fortunate enough to be raised in an artistic environment. Both my grandfather and Mother were artists, the former a photographer and my mother painted.
How does your Mexican background influence your work? Are there specific cultural elements of traditions you often reference?
Undoubtedly, Mexico is rich in art, so the great painters like Kahlo and Rivera were trained in European art. The Munal (National Art Museum in Mexico) has an extensive collection of artworks by Mexican artists from the 17th century and onwards. I am inspired by the richness of Mexico City as well as the landscape and shadows in Chapala.
To add, an international painter I was definitely drawn to was Francis Bacon and his artistic style of abstraction.
The art scene in Mexico is vibrant and diverse. How would you describe your place within it?
I feel so fortunate to be living in Mexico City and as it’s always in transformation. Right now I feel part of a large community and surprisingly I’ve found artists of my generation are coming together.
In Mexico everyone is incredibly helpful and open especially when you need something. Sometimes yes, when you try to be ambitious that excitement can be suppressed societally however I don’t look at what’s around me. I have my art and I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of a funded national program for artists from 2020-2023 which led me to have my exhibition here in London.
Can you describe your artistic process? How do you typically go about creating a piece?
It’s an abstract process, I splash paint, throw water. I like to use a metal brush to create textured plants with a cross hatching technique. When I paint I don’t have a set idea in mind.
However, the style is intentional, I work with shadows and it is inspired by photography and negatives. I take those shadows and invert them.
I see, so why did you choose the Acrylic medium with Linen?
My mother painted with acrylic and I appreciate the fact that acrylic has a quicker drying process than oil.
In your artist biography for this exhibition it mentions your art entails a theme of dissonance with the natural world. Can you tell us more about why this theme is important to you?
My intention is not to make a literal statement with my work, I would hope that when you look closely at my work it shows a psychological state, an emotional poetry for the viewer to see.
This interview is taking place in London, considering your time in the U.S. (14 years) has influenced your work, has London done the same? What have you found interesting in our art scene?
Absolutely! I really love being in a city that I don’t know of, I’ve read many English writers, on this trip I have been thinking constantly of them, especially George Orwell.
I love the fact museums are free and I was so astounded to see the Rosetta stone, Franz Marc Kandinsky at the Tate. It reminds of the richness of Mexico, how much history both countries, although very different, have a deep and rich heritage.
What kind of opportunities do you think Mexican artists need?
The newer generation should be really utilizing their advantage with social media and can create a global network. In terms of more specific support, I hope Mexican art schools can receive more funds, there’s art everywhere in the country and we should be investing more in it, perhaps a union of artists would be useful and of course, opportunities of travel to learn from the rest of the world.
I am very honoured to be part of a program the Mexican Government grant for 200 artists, and these kinds of chances should be more readily available.
Afterword:
“After speaking with Lorena, I enjoyed hearing her artistic journey, it shares a common thread I often find with Mexican creatives: coming to the UK for new opportunities. While I frequently encounter Mexican filmmakers and actors, Lorena’s work in a new medium was refreshing. It also highlighted the wider diversity of the Mexican art scene compared to the experiences of Mexican artists based here in the UK. Through RedGlobalMX, I hope we can continue expanding our outreach to creatives in Mexico and offer them opportunities to grow their audience, showcase their art in the UK, and most importantly, build a sustainable career from their passion.”
– Valentina Martinez Kongcharoen, Marketing and Communications Lead