Statement

The necessity to create has always been part of who I am. My work pursuits expression and development of ideas through the exploration of different subjects and mediums; therefore, it changes relative to the changes in my life. Each series has its own story and corresponds to my interests and motivations from a particular period. However, all stories are related, one leads to the other at some point; they’re all part of a search to connect with my true self. I think that only when you are connected to your true nature you will be able to live fully and happily. I’m inspired by ideas from other fields like music, architecture, photography, design, film, etc; sometimes events totally unrelated to my work, and I think those bring freshness and vitality to my creative process. I almost never know how a painting or drawing would be ahead of time, and that’s part of the challenge and the pleasure that art brings me—to engage in to the work, remain open to the process, learn from it and keep on moving.

Bio

Born in Medellín, Colombia, Maria Isabel Lopera began private study in painting and drawing at an early age. She completed her BFA—Bachelor of Fine Arts— with emphasis in Graphic Design at the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, in Medellin, Colombia. After working in Graphic Design for several years, Maria Isabel felt that the daily constraints of a computer and tight deadlines were limiting her creative energy. In addition, the fact that she moved to another country, followed by a chain of events, led her to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, USA, where she has been taking classes from 2006 to the present. Having the time and the space to work as an artist has been one of her most fulfilling decisions. For her, painting is an inner search providing a creative outlet to communicate and express her interests, feelings and emotions. It also brought freshness to her work as a designer, and now she combines her time between the two disciplines.