Luisa Ospina

Therapy, 2016
collage printed on acrylic – 12 x 18 in.

As an artist and art therapist, my practices continuously inform each other. Artmaking is a vehicle for me to distill my personal experiences by providing the space to dissect, analyze, and reconstruct my understanding of them. I utilize artmaking as a way to explore the multiplicity of my identity, typically investigating issues of immigration, culture, femininity, ability, and mental health. My art practice has developed my capacity to be introspective and self-reflective. These abilities further the tact and empathy necessary to strengthen the therapeutic alliance. Similarly, my therapeutic practice expands my artistic sensibility by inspiring artwork that assists me in the processing of my experiences as a mental health clinician.

My recent collage work responds to my clients in a variety of settings. I utilize response art as a way to process, contain, and explore the difficult material that arises during sessions, as well as the feelings associated with my clinical work. The search for images and the methodical cut and paste process allows me the distance to reflect on the stories I hold. These images are transferred from a small book, enlarged, and printed on acrylic for viewing. The acrylic finish protects each image literally and metaphorically, honoring each individual story.