We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Orlando Gonzalez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Orlando below.

Orlando, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It was an accidental situation, because it;s happened in the middle of the pandemic, because i had to quit my job as a Men´sclothing designer, and i was looking for something new to create. My mother has a restaurant, so she asked me to paint a pitcher, and that was the beggining of my journey as an artist.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Artist born in Barranquilla, Colombia, who has developed a combination of traditional techniques with contemporary art. He was awarded the Barranquilla
Fashion Week 2013 award for his innovative designs. Additionally, he achieved his
Carnival Entrepreneurship project, first place in the Entrepreneurship and Art
Carnival Diploma from Universidad Del Norte. His works have been exhibited at
the Expo 80 Gallery in Barranquilla and Futurama in the city of Miami, and in his botth at the Yellow green Farmers market of Hollywood.
The colors and architecture of his works reflect the message that the artist
proposes and has called it Barrio Abajo, which is a historical heritage
neighborhood in Barranquilla, where the traditions and cultural identity of the
Colombian Caribbean race are preserved.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

To me, is the conection that i can make with my audience, and the people who follow my work, because it gives me the opportunite to share my own story with them, and share the issues that we have in comon.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I discover that, when you have something true to say throug your vision of art, the audience make your work as their own. My own style, i named “Barrio Abajo” which translates to “Down Town”. Which is the name of the neirboorhood where i grew up. In my work i translate all my memories into a world full of colors, with all those thinghs that gave me so much fun and happiness when i was a kid in my country.
It was not easy to share my work in my city and in my own Country, so i decided to cross frontiers and look for the venues where i can express myself and tell my true story.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @orlandogonzalezarte