Conversation with Antonia Caicedo

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VERSION EN ESPAÑOL

With just two weeks of having her new studio at Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNBI) where several students from the Slade School of Fine Arts are finishing their master's degree, we find Antonia, a “Caleña” woman (from Cali, Colombia) with a smile that matches her energy, filling the space with cultural magic. Antonia was born in Cali, Colombia and raised there for most of her life. Her father, a Civil Engineer and mother, a Legal Translator. Antonia has always had a love for painting and her parents always supported her. Her grandmother is also a big part of her life, sharing her love for her country, teaching Antonia to appreciate Colombia in the same way with the influence of classical culture. 

She says, “It is difficult to paint things that are representative of Colombia because we have a very negative context. Although living outside of Colombia I have been able to see my country from another perspective, and learn to receive it as people see it, but I think that there, we are more good than bad." 

Antonia works with different techniques experimenting with oil, acrylic and coffee. Antonia paints a mix between photography and imagination. It is essential for her to represent her culture in her work incorporating the mountains, folklore, and the “sombrero” (Colombian traditional hat), not literally but in a personal way. She goes back to her roots using coffee as the main material in her latest studies. Not referring to the exploitation of land, something common in the world of coffee, but rather the antithesis of the bad reputation we have. In Colombia, coffee is culture, it is love, it is a symbol of community.

Your artworks are like a dream in the countryside, what are they about? 

I think that my paintings in general are about memories, moments from my childhood, moments from my past that are important and that have marked me; or people who have marked me. I painted a lot of my grandmother, my parents, my sister, and friends too. What is close to me. I am an empirical salsa dancer; I love to dance, and I want to start exploring dance in painting as a metaphor for life "Life is a dance that goes up and down."

Do you miss Colombia? How do you feel in London? 

Yes, I miss Colombia. I really miss it. Being abroad, I have been able to reflect on the positive aspect of Colombia and exalt it. When I have the opportunity to be in Colombia I enjoy it so much, I think more than when I lived there because one takes it for granted. In the times we live in, for me it is important not to lose that connection with the country. I have acquaintances who do not have the slightest desire to return, but my roots are important. In the future, I see the possibility of living in Colombia, perhaps Medellín or the Coast.

What is your greatest inspiration in your composition? 

As for the figure, I really like Garu, I really appreciate the colors of Beatriz Gonzales too. And lately I'm seeing a lot of artists taking inspiration from her, applying her techniques. Just like me, I see many other artists and I get inspired, but also from photographs or my imagination.

What is your creative process? 

I don't plan much about what I'm going to do. I generally don't draw pictures before I start. For example, with the coffee technique that I've been exploring, it's very spontaneous, that's why you see the pieces of paper because I'm sticking them together like a collage. I love collages! As for the oil, I choose a theme, I have references and as I paint, I explore the contrasts of the colors so that it is not a copy but rather a reference. I love the idea that there is a bit of mystery in the paintings. I want everything that comes out of me artistically to flow and be natural.

Any favorite artist? 

Paula Rego, a woman from Portugal who did a lot of pastel artworks. She just passed away, but I appreciate her art very much. 

How do you overcome your creative blocks? 

It depends on where the origin of the blockage is, if it is a question of theme then I return to the root of everything, "Why I am interested in painting this" I begin to investigate. Sometimes it's good to get a second opinion from someone close and honest as well. 

Could you describe your dream project... 

I would like to have a Solo Show where the artworks all have a common thread and have a very specific theme where the artwork includes different materials, but all contribute to telling a story.