Finding art everywhere with charla rios

View charla's photography alongside our interview.

charla rios blew us away with their photograph that captured the height of the pandemic. In this interview, charla waxes poetic about who they are, what they make, and how being a parent feeds their artistic practice.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background as an artist.

Hey all! My name is charla rios and I am a native afrocarolinian residing now in Durham, NC. I am a partner, a mommy, friend, and chosen family member to many. I love the South and being Black. I love the kitchen table talk that my aunt, grandma and mom used to have together and the magnolia tree we smelled from her porch. I love books and back yards. 

I love being in nature. Nature is one of my greatest teachers  - she helps to center me, reminds me of my smallness and vastness in the world and keeps me moving intentionally. Nature is one of my biggest inspirations for my artwork. 

I enjoy making textile art largely, including dying items, and fabric collages. I also like collages generally - the ability to make something new and ephemeral out of something that was captured once before- combining items to make a new visual. I have worked with items from nature as well as images from books, magazines, and photos. This is my first personal photo collage in Waterspout highlighting a journey I took during 2020. 

What is the story behind the work you submitted to us?

I wanted to highlight some of the joy and the heartache I experienced during 2020 - the height of the pandemic for me. 

It captures when I took a hike near the eno alone and wore a handmade mask. I was standing up and happened to capture this shot of me looking like a giant in the woods with the sun covering almost my entire face. I felt majestic in that photo.

2020 was also one of the hardest years. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness after being misdiagnosed for my entire life. I happened to receive that diagnosis at the height of the pandemic, which meant anytime I needed support during my hospital stay someone would need to take additional time to put on a hazmat suit. I didn’t see anyone without a hazmat suit during my stay. It was the most traumatic time in a hospital I have ever experienced, exacerbated by a new diagnosis. 

2020 felt like both a burn and a balm and I truly am still learning lessons and covering from that time, physically, mentally and emotionally. 

Has the pandemic influenced your creative process or the themes you explore in your work?

I think the pandemic made me more insightful, inquisitive and reflective generally. I’ve learned to be a big advocate for myself unapologetically.  Its translated to my artwork in ways I didn't expect. I am much more willing to tell it like it is and not edit my work. My collages are more adaptable and organic than how I used to create my work. 

Life feels a lot shorter now than it used to and it feels like everyday I need to live unapologetically and especially without restricting myself the way I once did. 

Have you found new sources of inspiration during the pandemic? If so, what are they?

It sounds kind of cheesy and typical of a parent, but having my child is an inspiration by far.

Having a child during a global pandemic is not at all for the faint of heart, let alone any time of one's life. But since they have been born, when I play with my child or watch them grow, I am inspired to have more fun in such a tense and serious world. I am compelled to be honest + see the grief + see the joy, and I don’t even know what to call this layered emotion other than a form of freedom.  I love this little being and feel that I am doing the hardest job, but also experiencing a new form of freedom by being a parent. 

What role do you think art plays in helping people cope with the challenges of the pandemic?

The art I consume via friends, galleries, media or museums shows me other worlds are possible. It gives me a snapshot or look into what people are dreaming about and hoping for. What they are struggling with and what they are grieving. None of this is mutually exclusive by the way - more than ever I have seen joy and grief in the same pieces of work. Still despite ongoing genoc*des, despair and the systemic sh*t we have been given, people are still visioning. They still keep going, just like our ancestors did to get us here. Even that point is a reminder - we are going through a pandemic, but this ain’t the first time BIPOC folks have had to cope and make a way out of no way. I refuse to believe their lives were simply a struggle and there are art forms we know existed - song, quilting, weaving, that hold the hope and joy even in those challenges. 

How do you envision the future of your art and the art world while staying COVID-conscious?

Honestly, I really wish people would consider some creative options for art displays that were COVID-conscious. I wish galleries that are fully indoors were masked. As someone with a chronic illness, it is dangerous when I have a severe illness and it was dangerous the one time I did contract COVID. Even still, when I am in a gallery, I wear a mask because of being in close proximity to others. But I also wish that we had more outdoor art galleries that were spacious to allow everyone to enjoy art. No one should have to be concerned about their quality of life or being hospitalized to enjoy art and the mental gymnastics required to navigate interactions for those who have various reasons for masking. 

Are there any upcoming projects or goals you’re particularly excited about?

I submit to art exhibits as I feel called to and there are a few things in the pipeline that I am excited about. I’d say stay tuned to see more of my work.

Instead of goals these days I just aim and intend to be more free and as much like me as I can be day to day. No pressure to do anything other than just be/just be me. 

What advice would you give to fellow artists who are struggling to create during these times?

First - I get it. I get it because I struggle to envision and create from an authentic place (not just to produce for the next thing or suppressing things to create). And I would say to find the art in the every day where you can. We are so accustomed to only appreciating something if it has enough likes, is placed in a gallery or pedestal. I’d like to personally release that hierarchy of artist calls and who is deemed an artist. However, I realize this is how some folks make a living. If that is you or if you just wish you were creating more, find art in how the clouds change, or the sun comes through the leaves. How flowers are shaped, or how a child draws a picture. Anything that you give enough attention to can inspire and ignite your interest in your own work in some way.

Can you recommend any resources or strategies that have helped you stay creative and resilient?

I don’t think I have any specific resource or strategy to offer other than to lean into your intuition and make sure you are keeping yourself as centered as possible. Stay informed but don’t let the information lead to despair. If it does make art of it and release it. I have definitely made small art pieces I later have torn up or burned to signify the releasing and healing of a wound. 

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charla rios is a parent, artist and lover residing in Durham, NC. She is originally from Asheboro, NC and loves living in the woods under tree branches and moonlight

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WaterSpout, a zine by SaltWater Sojourn, aims to share the stories of the untold throughout North Carolina. We want the art, the stories and perspectives of those continuously impacted by COVID-19 while carving out space for themselves and their community. We’re looking for stories and artwork that explore how we celebrate and keep each other safe, what we consider when we make difficult decisions, and why we persist and resist. This zine is sponsored by the Say Something Strong Grant of Bull City Strong and Durham Co Department of Public Health.