Quincie Douglas Library invites you to view the work of local artist Carolina Caples.
The exhibit will be on display until August 30, 2025.
Artist statement:
To be seen and deeply understood by another is a basic human desire reflected in my paintings, both portraits and abstracts. Using bold and vibrant colors, often layering shapes and subtracting values, the physical act of pushing paint around takes me on an unplanned, spontaneous journey to create and re-contextualize the lyricism inherent in the vulnerability of our human experience.
While often starting with simple elements, my abstract paintings emanate from a primal place, in turn, creating visual chaos reflective of the tension and turmoil within—a tension awaiting clarity through both psychological and technical artistic problem solving. The tension holds in it a desire for clarity, a relief from the chaos that only arrives when balance has been restored and a new awareness is yielded in my subconscious and conscious processing. The themes that permeate my abstract work are varied, yet rooted in stories of personal growth that demonstrate how pain is a beautiful and necessary part of living life with courage. I explore the complexities of human relationships, the lure of safety and the omniscience and freedom that arises when we listen to our higher knowing. Meditation is a critical part of my process, bringing clarity to the canvas as I allow the shapes and bold, rhythmic colors to guide me with fluid, balanced, rounded lines and psychedelic qualities.
Beginning with either a self-selected or client-select photograph, my portraits show the power and vulnerability of the human soul by reflecting one’s truest, most authentic essence. After projecting or transferring a photograph reference onto the substrate, I add layers of shapes and values before refinement, often integrating conceptual and literal elements from nature and desert cactus to articulate the energy and vibration surrounding the individual in the moment. Most often, my portraits tell the story of a human soul engaged in conscious or subconscious transformation, yearning to shed low vibrational feelings about self-worth, security, and self-love.
While my work encompasses the specificity of portraiture and the freedom of abstract concepts, it is distinct and recognizable. My intention is to attract those who find resonance with pain, transformation and hope contained in each painting—those who are willing to lose themselves, if only momentarily, in order to be found in the vulnerability of seeing their true self through the journey of another.
Images courtesy of the artist
