Artist Statement

Throughout my life, I have embraced my identity as an artist, studying fine arts in school and continuously engaging in the creative process. Although I had sold many pieces and received exhibition invitations, only recently I started feeling the desire to participate actively in the art scene. In 2020, during quarantine, my creative process underwent a profound transformation as I discovered a new means of expression through collage, creating a more mature and relevant body of work that sparked the desire to share my art with the world.

Amidst global events, I began exploring both conventional and non-conventional art materials, including old tubes of oil and acrylic paint, colored pencils, pieces of wood, fabric, paper, magazine cutouts, metal, and thread. These diverse elements were the foundation for my new artistic creations, ranging from representational to abstract pieces and evoking themes ranging from spiritual to homoerotic.

Three years ago, my motto was "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." However, in my current artistic journey, I found a strong inclination towards sticking with lemons, as collage allowed me to work with materials that possess a unique versatility beyond that of paint and brushes alone.

Using found materials as art supplies presents me with an exciting challenge that fosters immense comfort and enables me to experiment freely. I embrace a process where the materials guide the creation of the narrative, resulting in artworks that carry their own stories. Through Collage, I have found a powerful and resonant voice that allows me to express my artistic vision in a compelling and captivating manner while evolving to more complex ways of expression represented in more elaborated assemblies.

Jaime Arango

August 1,2023