“How my life influenced my art, and how my art influenced my life”: The Duality of Creation with Luisa Duarte

In the April Sweet Talk, Luisa Duarte took us on a ride on her complex journey as an artist and immigrant. Her talk titled “How my life influenced my art, and how my art influenced my life” delved into how her cultural background and life experience living in both Venezuela and the USA influenced her creative process. In her talk, Luisa shared with the audience that she used bright colors in her work as an expression of her longing for the sunny and vibrancy of Venezuela’s cultural landscape. Although difficult, Luisa braved herself to touch on a personal struggle of losing her husband and parents that manifests in a few abstract pieces, a visual representation of her grief and internal turmoil.  Evidently, each creation, whether it is an abstract piece or a colorful print, becomes a window into her soul.

While the audience enjoyed the delicious Venezuelan cheesecakes, Luisa shared her unique interpretation of one of her artworks titled “Clearing the Path.”  The concept behind this artwork centers on removing unnecessary elements.  It features geometric shapes arranged in a way that, when viewed from left to right, transitions from a crowded arrangement to a lighter composition. Interestingly, she added that this work can also be interpreted in reverse, from right to left, symbolizing the accumulation of possessions throughout one’s life, from minimal to maximal.  Meanwhile, Jorge Lozano, a patent attorney in our Houston office, noticed a detail in the “Clearing the Path” artwork that he interprets reveals the artist’s name, “Luisa” when he views the artwork from left to right.

These three unique and different interpretations underscore how diverse viewpoints in a team are important for successful teamwork, fostering problem-solving and creative solutions.

Luisa’s complex journey is a reminder that a creation, whether it’s art or life, is a continuous process that inspires not just her art, but Luisa herself.