Today we’d like to introduce you to Carlos Daniel Perez-Boza.
Hi Carlos, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My life path began to take shape when I stepped into the largest and most amazing art supply store in New York City. I was blown away by six floors of supplies and two additional buildings across the rear alleyway. Each floor was stocked with items unique to each artistic process. The third floor had all types of papers, the fourth floor had clay supplies, and the fifth had all types of mechanical drawing materials. And the second–my favorite–floor was loaded with tons of brushes and painting supplies. I ended up working on that floor. The first time I set foot in that building, I filled out an application, and during my mid-teen years, I worked at Pearl Paint on Canal Street, where I developed a deeper appreciation for art.
My name is Carlos Daniel Perez-Boza, also known as Daniel Boza. I am a visual artist primarily working in painting and drawing. My work is directly influenced by my life’s journey. I was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in NYC, and have resided in California for 15 years. My work has taken many directions throughout my practice.
As a teenager I would ride the buses and subways of NYC, leaving marks. Some call it “vandalism,” I called it “freedom of expression.” While living in San Francisco in my early twenties, I worked with a nonprofit organization called Brushfire Paint as a Lead Teaching Artist. I mentored teenagers and young adults through arts and healing. We shared stories, reflected, and created paintings and murals. I thank Brushfire Paint, founding Artist and Director Naomi Krajewski, for one of the most game-changing opportunities of my life. While teaching, I continued my studio practice, addressing oppression, police brutality, systematic racism, colonialism, and power dynamics. I work from the aftermath of pain, loss, suffering, courage, resilience, and trauma. This helped me envision a revolutionary moment, an apocalyptic-like atmosphere where past, present, and future collide. I drew inspiration from Egyptian and Greek mythology, astronomy, astrology, religion, cults, Afro-futurism, indigenous mythology, and dreams.
While studying at California College of The Arts in San Francisco and Oakland, I acquired my BFA in Community Arts. There, I embarked on an undergraduate journey of intersecting my many sources of inspiration and creative methods. I enthusiastically began transforming ordinary shared spaces into art installations, using previous and new bodies of work to create portal-like dystopian worlds. These spaces allowed me to explore a fuller range of my multi-disciplinary practices.
These days, I’ve been working out of my shared studio in Los Angeles on Hollywood Blvd. I’m currently working on multiple personal projects like clothing, prints, and digital art alongside a new body of paintings and drawings. This is a really exciting time for me, and I can’t wait to show more of my work in the near future.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any artist has a smooth road to their success. I think every struggle is uniquely structured for each individual. Growing up, I was pretty isolated shortly after my mother fell ill. I struggled trying to find my path through the world. I was very depressed, angry, and confused as to why these things were all happening to me.
I felt lost in time. The world didn’t feel real. I was trying to figure myself out in my early 20s while grieving, healing, running, and coping. I felt overwhelmed with how fast the world was moving around me. I felt like I was missing out on opportunities. I wondered if it was because I didn’t have the right body of work or the right language together like other artists.
The world of social media in its early days was a place where I would get inspired. At the same time, it was also divisive because it exacerbated insecurity and self-criticism among artists.
I had to train myself to believe that things come to those who are patient, hardworking, and dedicated to their craft. Brushfire Paint reminded me to be kind to myself and to stay creative.
As I got older, I realized that this was all designed for me. This was my path and journey to heal and to move forward and no amount of time was ever lost. It’s the reason why I make art, and it reminds me of the strength I carry within.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I consider my work to take its form once I create it. Upon creation, the artwork is a timestamp, a marked moment for its lifespan in the place of history.
My work talks to me through my emotions. I hate to spend countless hours looking at the work and wondering why it’s not finished. My work is like a continuous dance. I have to let the work breathe first. I have to leave it alone for a few days before the work asks me to dance once again. Color carries feeling and mood in my work. I began developing confident and expressive linework since my blackbook days when a couch or subway seat served as a studio.
I identify as a multi-disciplinary artist because I’m not afraid to take risks and chances while creating art. I seek to transgress limitations in my practice, and I trust that I will always find my way through. Art is the unknown. Even when I think I’ve found a method of creating the perfect form, even when I think I’ve achieved mastery, I have to keep mixing it up to stay engaged and learning. My practice encompasses drawing, painting, printmaking, digital media, clothing, and street art. All of these disciplines are an extension of my creative communication and exploration.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
One lesson I’ve learned throughout my journey is to remain humble. I share my story, knowing that there are other amazing stories yet to be told. I learned to have compassion for others when they don’t have the right language to communicate that they, too, may need a helping hand. I also learned to remain grounded. I learned that nothing is impossible, even when the world feels bigger than what you already imagined it to be. I learned how to be my own best friend and do kind things to myself. I learned that through creating my work the work then becomes bigger than me. It is important to bring my work to an audience. It’s easier said than done, but I continue to apply this knowledge to better myself as an artist and a person.
Contact Info:
- Website: danielboza.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniel_boza/
Image Credits
Luz Marina Ruiz
