A Tribute to Hawaii
The beautiful island of Hawaii has long inspired artists to respond to its rich history and scenic environment. Colombian artist Ivan Osorio may have come from a very different place, but he brings to Hawaii a highly respected repertoire of work that transcends location while it also manages to incorporate elements from his past experiences in painting and sculpting that reveal unique combinations of aesthetic and sryliscic ideas drawn from his travels and exploration of new locales. His success as a sculptor and painter within the genre of Latin American Art is still evident in his dedicacion to figuration, color, and interest in his cultural surroundings. He manages to adapc to his new environment by creating series of works that celebrare Hawaiian ritual, objects, people and extraordinary natural beauty.
The series of Volcano paintings pays tribute to the drama of nature with brash energetic brushwork that captures the lighting effects and force of the eruption. Bordering on total abstraction, these paintings are personal expressions of the artists response to an extraordinary event. He also pays homage to the history of Hawaii
in a series of paintings and jar sculptures that recognize the Hawaiian Royalty. Particularly interesting is his use of jar forros that are striking in their
resemblance to the Pre-Colombian forms of his Andean heritage, while at the same time recognizable as artifacts of Hawaiian ritual as well. Originating in cerracotta, his case bronze
forms give a new solidity and permanence to shapes that are often forgotten for their historie significance, while placing them in a modern comext. In the paintings from the Jar Series, the objects take on an anthropomorphic quality within abstracted landscapes!
The landscape, its flora, fauna and dramatic geography, emerge as the defining elements in Ivan Osorio works, his fascination with new surroundings and the opporcunity to explore its spectacular beauty become more evident. Ivan Osario brings to Hawaii a sophisticated approach to the creative process that can be appreciated as a vibrant response to the land and its people.
Carol Damian, Professor of Art History Florida Internacional University Miami, Florida, February 2007
