Today, we are interviewing Grimanesa Amorós @GrimanesAmoros – Grimanesa is a New York-based American interdisciplinary artist with diverse interests in the fields of social history, scientific research, and critical theory. Through her art, she conveys a sense of ephemeral wonder, entrancing viewers from all different backgrounds and communities. She inspires others to become agents of empowerment. Grimanesa makes use of sculpture, video, and lighting to create works that illuminate our notions of personal identity and community. She was a guest speaker at TEDGlobal 2014, a recipient of the ‘NEA Visual Artist Fellowship’, the ‘NEA Artist Travel Grant’, and has the distinction of being part of the ‘Art In Embassies Program of the U.S.’

Grimanesa Amorós has often drawn upon important Peruvian cultural legacies as inspiration for her large-scale light-based installations, which she has presented around the globe, from Mexico, Tel Aviv, and Beijing, to New York’s Times Square. She continues to be inspired by Peru’s history for her art, but does not hold an essentialist or nostalgic view of her subject. Grimanesa often gives talks at museums and universities where her lectures attract not only developing artists, but students and faculty engaged with science and technology. When it comes to the art of Grimanesa Amorós, one feels that the past is meeting the future. Amorós has exhibited in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Question: How did your passion for art start?

Grimanesa: I was ten years old, and I used to stay up very late, drawing and painting maps because my dream was to travel and visit all the continents. My mother saw me creating, so she put me into classes to learn how to oil paint.

Question: What piece of entertainment do you wish you could erase from your mind so that you can experience it again for the first time?

Grimanesa: The movie The Piano by Jane Campion.

Question: How were you as a student?

Grimanesa: Always organized. I cannot focus with clutter around me. When I was younger, my mother made sure I grew up very structured; when I would come home from school, it was the same routine; waltz into my room to change, have a snack, do homework, have dinner, read, and finally sleep. I attest my mother’s love of orderliness is the reason I am who I am today. Even now, in my studio, I have created a system to remain efficient. All items have their place much require for the type of work I do.

Live with a constant Romance with the Unknown.

Find out more about Grimanesa Amoros: 

http://www.grimanesamaros.com

https://www.instagram.com/grimanesaamoros/

https://twitter.com/grimanesaamoros