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- Looking back, how do you define your artistic career today?
I define my artistic trajectory as a journey of resilience and visual poetics. More than a decade ago, I decided to transition from the corporate world to the art world, a change that required courage but paved the way for my true calling.
That step marked the beginning of a solid career, in which perseverance and discipline have allowed me to participate in exhibitions in Costa Rica, the Americas, Europe, and Asia, thus consolidating a path of international openness.
Within this journey, my personal signature has been the butterfly: a metaphor for transformation, hope, and movement, which has become my own language and a bridge between the intimate and the universal.
- How important are the life and colors of Costa Rica in your work?
The life and colors of Costa Rica are at the heart of my work. Being born and raised in a country where biodiversity permeates everywhere has left a profound mark on me. The tropical exuberance, the intensity of the light, and the chromatic variety offered by nature become the emotional and aesthetic foundation of my work.
The centuries-old trees, flowering yellowbarks, guayacanes, orchids, dandelions, and, above all, the butterflies—with more than 1,500 species in the country—constantly inspire me. Every color I use is rooted in that natural Costa Rican palette: the intense greens of the jungle, the vibrant blues of the morpho, the oranges of the monarch, the golds reminiscent of the tropical sun.
Beyond the visual, this richness is also spiritual and symbolic; It allows me to build universes where nature is not only a muse but also a metaphor for transformation, resilience, and hope. In each work, I aim to bring the vital spirit of Costa Rica—its abundance, its light, its energy—into the forefront and engage the viewer, acting as a bridge between the local and the universal.
- As a woman and a Latina artist, how has the international art scene treated you?
As a Latin American visual artist, my journey has involved opening spaces in venues where our voices often lacked a place. This challenge, far from limiting me, has driven me to bring a proposal rooted in the richness of Costa Rica and the sensitivity of the feminine to international platforms.
These experiences show a positive reception and genuine interest in Latin American art. Our visual language, full of color, nature, and symbolism, brings freshness and depth to the global dialogue of contemporary art.
I proudly embrace my feminine and Latin American identity, not as a label, but as a force that drives me to show the world a different vision: resilient, poetic, and committed. My work aims to transcend borders and reaffirm that the art of our region has a legitimate and necessary place in international circles.
- What emotion most inspires you to paint?
The emotion that inspires me to paint: For me, art is not just form or color: it is embodied feeling, an open window to the soul.
Every stroke, every butterfly, every flower is born from a deep and authentic emotion. My visual language transforms the intimate into the universal and the ephemeral into the eternal. Painting is my way of inviting us to look beyond the visible: to discover, in nature and in the transformation of its elements—like butterflies, trees, and landscapes—a reflection of our own essence.
- Of the adjectives that nature has, which would you say it shares with your work?
My work shares with nature its resilient spirit, its illuminating light, its ephemeral beauty, its expansive energy, its free flight, and its transformative power.
- What do you think about the following words or concepts:
- Artist – The artist is a bridge between emotion and matter; one who transforms the invisible into the visible, turning intuitions, memories, and emotions into tangible forms that converse with others.
- Galleries – They are spaces for encounter and dialogue, platforms that expand the voice of art. More than showcases, they are allies in dissemination, in connecting with diverse audiences, and in building community around creation.
- Contemporary art – A living and constantly evolving language that reflects the complexity of the present. At the same time, it holds space for poetry, for the intimate and the spiritual, reminding us that art not only narrates the present, but also elevates it.
- Nature – My constant muse, an inexhaustible source of symbols and teachings. It is a mirror of life, a metaphor for transformation and resilience. In its cycles, colors, and shapes, I find the root of my work and the pulse of my inspiration.
- Mexico – It’s a country with which I feel a deep cultural affinity: vital, colorful, and vibrant. For me, it represents an invaluable bridge to my work both in Latin America and internationally.
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Daniela Vargas Winiker.
