January 26, 2025 0 Artist Spotlight, Contemporary art, Costa Rica Belinda Lorena Villalobos Costa Rican artist Lorena Villalobos is celebrated for exploring the unstable and delicate natural world, frequently featuring water as a recurring motif—a reflection of time and life. Her work cannot be classified as simple abstract or figurative, but rather it occupies a space between the two, creating intricate and evocative images. The following text discusses her artistic approach and practice in greater detail. Themes of Nature and Change Villalobos’s exploration of nature is not limited to its physical forms but extends to the forces and energies that govern it. Art historian Carlos Francisco Echeverría describes Villalobos’s ability to present "both the precariousness and the strength of nature", highlighting the dualities of her work. Water, for example, plays a central role in her paintings and serves as a metaphor for impermanence and renewal. Mirroring, flowing, and at times chaotic, water reflects the passage of time and the fragility of life. Influenced by Modern Masters such as Cézanne, Kandinsky, Villabolos strikes with action, painting movement and immediacy. Combined with her bold use of colour and form, she maintains a coherent visual language as she shapes layers and fragments, creating compositions that are grounded but also ephemeral. Working in a variety of medium, Villabolos experiments with oil, acrylics, watercolour, collage, sculpture, and printmaking techniques such as monotype and collography. Central to her process is her use of layering, gouging, and scraping techniques that create dynamic surfaces. This physicality in her approach injects each work with a tangible sense of energy and presence, reflecting the intensity she invests in the creative process. Her recent works have been described by Echeverría as "shaken and shocking—unpredictable like a hurricane." Oasis, Oil paint and cold wax on masonite In "Oasis", Villalobos worked with intricate layering of oil paint and deliberate incisions into cold wax to build this richly textured surface that conveys the shifting dynamics of the natural world. The composition balances organic forms and gestural marks to highlight the natural tension between fragility and resilience. This piece illustrates her ongoing investigation into the transient and evolving qualities of landscapes. Recognition and Impact Cobalt Flower, Oil paint and cold wax on masonite Villalobos’s contributions have been widely recognised, within Costa Rica and internationally. In 2019, she earned Second Place at the Association of Costa Rican Visual Artists' 5th Annual Salon, hosted at the Municipal Museum of Cartago. Her work has been featured in major publications, including the Ford and Snider book Central American Modernism, where she was listed among only 26 Costa Rican artists under the title "Modern and Contemporary Masters." Echeverría has praised Villalobos as one of the most significant artists of the region, stating that her works rank "among the most significant art creations that have occurred in our part of the world in recent times." This recognition positions her as a key figure in Costa Rican contemporary art. Lorena Villalobos Recent Projects In March 2023, Villalobos undertook a distinctive project at Studio Hotel in Santa Ana, Costa Rica. She was commissioned to design "Ventanas del Silencio" (Windows of Silence), a room that incorporates 13 of her artworks across various mediums. The theme of silence connects these pieces, offering guests a multi-sensory experience that promotes introspection and creativity. Simultaneously, Villalobos presented a collection of 36 works titled "Entre Tiempos" (Between Times) in the hotel’s Salon Cedral. This series reflects on the flow and interruptions of time, with landscapes symbolizing continuity and change. Both projects exemplify her ability to intertwine visual art with broader philosophical and emotional themes. Art as Rhythm and Reflection Strange Fruit 1, Oil paint and cold wax For Lorena Villalobos, the distinctions between art forms are fluid. She has often drawn comparisons between the rhythms of dance and music and her artistic process. Her figurative works aim to loosen, while her abstractions become more tactile, a blending of opposing impulses that infuses her art with vitality. She once remarked that her goal is to communicate something increasingly personal and intangible, transporting viewers to a space of reflection and shared interiority. For example, in "Strange Fruit 1", Villalobos incorporates subtle figurative elements into her layered and textured approach, allowing the figures to appear as part of the natural landscape. The flowing lines and earthy tones create a harmonious balance between the human form and the surrounding environment Villalobos’s ability to combine nature’s fragility with its inherent strength resonates with audiences. Through her exploration of colour, form, and movement, she has created a body of work that is as technically accomplished as it is emotionally compelling. MÍRAME Contact Information: MÍRAME Fine Art Email: [email protected] Follow: Facebook | Instagram Lorena Villalobos | MÍRAME Fine Art