An impassioned visual immigrant journey by William Osorio at Miami’s LnS Gallery

William Osorio, “Campeche to Cancún” (from the series “The Path to the Volcanoes”), 2023, oil on canvas with recycled clothes, textiles, and dried flowers hand sewn on rug, 96 x 120 inches, 243.8 x 304.8 cm. Collection of Jorge M. Pérez. (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

One of the fundamental traits of Matterism, also known as Matter Painting, is the use of non-traditional materials such as sand, wood, wax or textiles in the creation of works, bordering between painting and sculpture.

Artists in this practice include the Germans Joseph Beuys, with his famous “drawings as objects”, and Anselm Kiefer. The latter, in one of his famous pictorial series, uses combinations of women’s and girl’s dresses graded with brownish earth, juxtaposed with tangled wires and sandy surfaces. Some observers associate these symbols with the victims of the Holocaust, while others consider that Kiefer intends a notion of nostalgia and autobiography, suggesting intense and deeply personal reflections.

William Osorio in his studio, pictured with “La danza de la razón” (The Dance of Reason), 2023, oil on canvas hand sewn on rug, 144 x 185 inches, 365.8 x 469.9 cm.  (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

It is this same creative vein that links the density of oil painting with the use of textiles and objects in a visceral documentary fashion in “The Path to the Volcanoes,” a selection of recent works by Cuban artist Wllliam Osorio.

On view at LnS Gallery through early August, Osorio’s intimate and reflective works act as windows that attempt to reconstruct a part of the recent Cuban exodus as a result of the regime’s crackdown on civil liberties after the July 11, 2021 protests. Painted in oil on canvases sewn to thick carpets, these works also add to their narrative such objects as hoodies, backpacks, purses and even children’s socks, worn by Cuban immigrants on their journey from Nicaragua to the U.S. border in search of freedom.

‘The title, ‘The Path to the Volcanoes,’ alludes to the journey that (Cubans) take to visit the volcanoes in Nicaragua which are a popular tourist attraction, acting as their ticket to freedom. Upon arrival their journey to the states begins, as they walk through central America to the United States border only taking what they can carry on their back. This body of work re-illustrates moments along each individual’s journey to freedom, to a new life,” says Sofia Guerra, the exhibition curator.

In painting these works, Osorio referenced the compelling photographs taken by his brother-in-law during his migratory journey. The images captured individuals—elderly people, teenagers, parents with their young children—who made up the group with which he made a heroic (and dangerous) journey. “For me,” says Osorio, “it has been a recurring theme in the history of literature and art since the beginning of time: it is the hero searching for the road. It’s in Odysseus, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, in Cervantes… It’s everywhere, even in Hollywood movies. It’s about the search for a path, restructuring identity, crossing thresholds”, says the 35-year-old artist, who arrived in the United States in 2007 and lives in Miami.

Installation view of “The Path to the Volcanoes,” a focus installation by artist William Osorio. (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

On how he obtained some of the personal objects and garments he incorporates in his works, Osorio stated they were provided by people who crossed the border to enter the United States. “Friends and family close to me and who came that way, and some of them gave me something,” he says. “It’s like re-documenting the experience of others through real objects that were used by them during their crossing.”

From a curatorial standpoint, Guerra was interested in grouping the works by combining Osorio’s large-format pieces with his works on paper, displaying the variety of the painter’s artistic options within the series. “Osorio can create works that are massive and balanced, but also smaller and more intimate.”

On that basis, Guerra explains that everything flows harmoniously in space, carefully weaving the threads of the same narrative idea. “The rug paintings have such a large presence that we wanted to make sure the works on paper really highlight the overall narrative and fill any gaps in the storytelling of this series,” says the curator.

“The goal was to try and touch on as many aspects of the journey as we could to show the humanness of this experience.”

William Osorio, “The Kids” (from the series “The Path to the Volcanoes”), 2024, oil on canvas with recycled clothes, hand sewn on rug, 79 x 79 inches, 200.66 x 200.66 cm. (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

There are moments of bonding, moments of rest, sharing meals, a few works that highlight movement and the arduousness of the journey, juxtaposed with some still moments of leisure, according to Guerra. “They all culminate in this moment of finality that we see in ‘Campeche to Cancún,’ which really acts as a grand visual finale.”

For Osorio, this exhibition is a continuation of his formal quest to address themes that are leitmotifs in his life and work. “The theme of identity is central, and the journey as a process of discovery is fundamental in my life. The journey represents a passage across a threshold that allows me to re-signify identity and the world as we know it. It is like the exit from the platonic cave: living in a space where you think things are real and, suddenly, coming out and realizing that they are not. Migrating also implies this: arriving in a world where real life awaits you, although some prefer to return to the cavern to avoid the bright sunlight,” says the artist.

Osario talks about other artists whose work he admires.

“I like the contemporary figurative work of Henry Taylor. Also the abstraction of Julie Mehretu. Speaking of physical gesture, she paints in impressive formats, and to see her working on those cranes is impressive. I’ve seen those videos hundreds of times. To me, Julie Mehretu is one of the coolest artists of our time.”

William Osorio, “Caminante, son tus huellas el camino y nada más X” (Traveler, your footprints are the path and nothing else X), 2024, oil stick and textile on paper, 15 x 11 inches, 38.1 x 27.94 cm. Collection of Jorge M. Pérez. (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

Of course, he also mentions the works of Kiefer. “For painters, Kiefer is like Borges for writers; he leaves you speechless. His production volume is incredible, he never stops working, even in his eighties. His work is superphysical and critical.”

Among Osario’s references in his own work are Gerhard Richter and Julian Schnabel. Of the latter he says: “I enjoy his work, both his painting and his cinema, which is clearly not made by a filmmaker, but by an artist,” he says.

Guerra says that while she has long been a “fan” of how Osario captures emotions in his paintings, the curator says that this exhibition of works adds yet another layer.

William Osorio, “Tonalá” (from the series “The Path to the Volcanoes”), 2024, oil on canvas, recycled clothes, textiles, dried flowers, and ratan hand sewn on rug, 36 x 36 inches, 91.44 x 91.44 cm. (Photo by Sofia Guerra/courtesy of LnS Gallery)

” . . . The added textural element of found objects, clothing, and personal belongings really elevates the message of the work. We live our life with these things in other ways – we know how they feel in our hands, so to see them incorporated into a painting is really just spectacular to me. It bridges the gap between subject and viewer.”

WHAT:  “William Osorio: The Path to the Volcanos”

WHERE: LnS Gallery, 2610 SW 28th Lane, Miami

WHEN:. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, By appointment Sunday and Monday. Through Saturday, Aug. 3.

COST: Free

INFORMATION: 305-987-5842 or lnsgallery.com

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