The Soulful Work of Apia Art

Chilean artist Carolina García is known in the art world as Apia. Based in South Florida, she is originally from Santiago de Chile. Apia works mainly with acrylics, although she does not shy away from utilizing a wide range of techniques, some of which she has developed herself. Through her art, it is Apia’s goal to showcase the metaphysical transformation that occurs when you are able to see light in a dark place.

Apia was born in Chile and moved to the States in 2006.  She has always cultivated her artistic side growing up, in fact her first oil painting is from when she was 3-years-old and it does not look like it was done by a child. In high school she completed murals for her class, and her art teacher didn’t want to limit her creativity, so she was allowed to create freely anything she desired.

Apia studied Engineering and dedicated herself fully to her career as an Engineer until she made the decision to care for her son full time. This was a long thought-out decision for Apia, but she chose to improve her son’s chances in life as he battled several conditions and was also diagnosed with Autism. It was during her years caring for her son that she discovered she could communicate with him through paintings and drawings, and from that moment on, her artistic essence resurfaced.

Apia’s work has been shown in private Pop-Ups in Chile and France and most recently her art was showcased at Art Palm Beach with AC Contemporary Art Gallery. Her plans for 2020 include exhibiting her work at MUNAT museum in Mexico, Seattle Art Fair July 23-26, a Duo Show in the Chilean Consulate in DC, and exhibiting her work at Context Art Miami in December during Art Basel Miami Beach. Context is the sister fair of Art Miami, dedicated to the development and reinforcement of emerging and mid-career artists.

Her work is primarily an abstract-expressionist style with overtones of flora and fauna, however, she is not relegated to one particular genre and is equally known for her figurative works, landscapes, nature-inspired pieces and abstract florals.

Apia is a true multimedia artist whose versatility encompasses acrylic paintings and mixed media on canvas, ink drawings and works on paper, watercolors, wall installations, and origami kusudama pieces. Her scope of work ranges from murals, down to her exquisite “miniature” paintings that are essentially tiny, thumbnail works of art, less than 1 x 1 inch in size.

We recently had the pleasure to chat with Apia to learn more about her art career and current projects:

Q – What is the best part about being an artist, and how did you get started on this path?

A – Being an artist means so many things to me, all at the same time and with force. I have always been an artist in my heart, and for many years I was afraid to be one. I was born in Chile and by the time I needed to choose a profession, I doubted that I could really make a living from art and as independent as I was, I didn’t want to find myself needing someone to support me. I ultimately decided to follow a more traditional path and chose engineering. Art has always been in the center of who I am. It’s been my language to communicate with my true self. And almost a decade ago, when news about my son’s health was not what I wanted to hear. I turned to art to check on my stress level and happiness. It was a great tool to understand what was going on inside. For the outside I needed to be strong, level headed, as if the world was not falling apart. My husband and I were both in execution mode. But I knew I needed to check on myself as I suffered from depression when I was younger. I needed to care for that, so in the long run, I would be the mom my child needed. Years passed and it was necessary to dedicate my time fully to him. In the process, I  discovered that art was my son’s language too and we started communicating through drawings and paintings.

Q – Where does your inspiration come from?

A – My inspiration comes from life itself and at the center of it, my family. In a way, I can say I live with two miracles and I can’t help to realize how fortunate I am in spite of the heartache. My son was born with a series of conditions, and on top of that, was diagnosed with severe autism. He has surpassed every prognosis ever made by his doctors and he has been called “the miracle boy” by some. Learning to be happy in the world of turmoil was what gave me the strength for when my husband had a massive heart attack a few years ago. He was dead for 33 minutes and came back to life intact (after being in a coma for several days). He was deemed a medical miracle. Those hard experiences taught me that happiness is a choice. You can make the decision as often as needed. It doesn’t mean that is easy, but going through that, helps you understand who is the owner of your life. It truly is you. So that is what I want to show through my work, that joy, that freedom. The understanding that the way you live is your own. I have seen the demons and have come out stronger and happier. Freer even. I want and need to showcase the light. The light that can only be appreciated from the dark. I want to show that it is possible to harvest from those experiences the knowledge that allows the transformation of oneself into a more powerful being. Where you are free to do and to be who you truly are. And most of all, value yourself for who you are. I believe this is the key to happiness. We all go through those transformative experiences in life, it is not exclusive of me or anyone. All of out struggles are opportunities to develop and find our essence, and my essence is art.

Q – You have a very interesting style of work, visually stimulating and aesthetically appealing with a calming effect, can you tell us about your creative process?

A – I mostly focus on matters related to happiness, patience and self-awareness. And seek answers regarding where I am in terms of those things. I can read my answers better than if they were written in any other language. The process goes a little like this: I start with a question. Usually, the question will bring its colors to my mind. I start with a set of colors that later gets almost entirely covered by others. That is the answer. Is a conversation of sorts. Since this is more of an emotional/metaphysical approach to painting. There isn’t much planning regarding composition when I start. And as if it would be with any conversation, you have your questions, your discussions, and your answers. What you ultimately see in my work are those answers. To me, those come with that calming effect that you are getting too. It’s great to see that the viewer can experience that when being confronted with my paintings.

Q – Is there an artist (past or present) who you admire most, or who may have influenced your style?

A – I cannot say that I have been influenced by the works of a particular artist. Although I like to take in the works of all. I have learned through observation, trial, and error as I never had formal training. But is the life of the artists what intrigues me and the way the showcased it in their works. Last year I did an in-depth investigation on Hilma Af Klint and learned about her life and fascinating ways in which she worked. Her now not so secret paintings are a gift to humanity and the fact that she felt she couldn’t share them while she was alive, attest to how much the when and where influences you. As per modern artists, I have been fortunate enough to meet a few and see, first hand, the dedication and love they have for the works they create. Braydan Buggazzi, Sipros and Andres Bardales are among those who I admire.

Q – How do you navigate the art world, are there any trends you follow?

A – For a while I felt lost on how to enter the art world, much less navigate it. But social media is a wonderful tool. You have access to millions of people, galleries and artists alike. I also started attending all the events around Art Basel Miami Beach. Not really a trend follower.

To learn more about this fascinating artist, for sales, commissions, general inquires or future show information, email apia.artist@gmail.com and visit https://www.instagram.com/apia_art/