Meet Gabriela Cobar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriela Cobar.

Gabriela, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was very young when I began making art. I have memories as a child painting with my dad and after school in my mom’s office making puppet theaters and other sculptures with random office materials I was allowed to use. This curiosity and desire to build objects carried through to high school where I would stay up all night working on art projects.

I grew up in a very large Latino family. Both my parents came from different countries and met in the bay area. My family’s passion for life, family roots, music, poetry and hard work ethic was instilled in me at an early age. Art was a way for me to communicate some of these ideas but also a venue to express my passion for creating things. Over time my art has taken many variations.

I graduated from California College of the Arts in the winter of 2012 where I studied painting and drawing. I taught art to children for a few years in San Francisco then moved with my boyfriend to Los Angeles in 2017. LA gave the opportunity to reinvent myself and allowed me to discover a new way to merge art and work.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Moving Los Angeles has been a whirlwind. I am very close with family so moving away from the bay area was one of the hardest things. I recognize that I am still close, but it has made a huge difference in my daily life.

One challenge I overcame this past year was stepping out of my comfort zone and taking risks. Saying yes has been crucial because that allowed me to take on projects I never thought I could handle.

I think one of my biggest struggles at the moment is learning how to balance my focus. In a way, I have two dreams in fine art and set design, so I often feel the pressure of never having enough time in a day.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I am a visual artist and work in set design. Right now, I am working on a series of paintings that explore the relationship between simplicity and overstimulation.

I am interested in playing with perception, motion and am obsessed with the idea of creating paintings that “twist your eyes.” I use oil paint on multiple sheets of plexiglass and layer them within a frame. I make custom tools which I use to create the wavy interlacing patterns.

I love focusing on a series of paintings while creating projects on the side that allow me to discover a different part of my creativity. Set design gives me the space to explore playfulness, create temporary environments and I find the collaborative aspect of it to be very exciting.

Art has given me the opportunity to truly be myself and has introduced me to the most interesting, hardworking and creative people.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I just want to keep doing what I am doing but more of it. I’d love to show my art in more galleries and take on bigger projects with clients. I also have some fun adventures I am really looking forward this year in Mexico, Austin, and backpacking in Yosemite.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.gabrielacobar.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/gabriela_cobar

Image Credit:
Gabe Mendoza Weiss, Chloe Rice

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.