We all have core memories from childhood, that first little flash of something concrete in a sea of blur. For Carolina Aranibar-Fernández, her first memory takes place drawing and painting in an artist’s studio when she was not even eight years old. The subject: A colorful chicken with eggs. When she recalls this vivid memory, she looks back with pure enjoyment. The chicken was truly magical to her. Little did she know, this mystical painting would be the first of many art pieces throughout her life.
Born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia, Aranibar-Fernández is a true visionary who sees the world through the lens of someone that transcends singular labels. She is an artist, but she is also a historian, a storyteller, a teacher, a cartographer, a researcher, an economist, a geologist. Her multimedia art reflects how she looks at the world, and from this writer’s perspective, the world would be a much better place if more people saw it the way she does.
As an artist, Aranibar-Fernández does not limit herself to one medium. Much of her practice is self-taught or learned through observation. Some of her installations are heavily anchored in video and audio. Other times, she prefers to weave her stories into textiles, fabrics, embroidery or stitching. She has also made her own prints and worked with ceramics.
Aranibar-Fernández’s home country is a paramount inspiration to her for several reasons. Bolivia itself is an extremely diverse country, the space and climate changing from north to south, east to west. It is also a vital artery for natural resource extraction. Minerals, oil and natural gas are pulled from the ground and sent far away overseas for refinement and purchase.
Through her art, Aranibar-Fernández manifests her fascination with space and place.She is an artist-in-residence at LISC Phoenix, a nonprofit focused on building equitable communities. They call her work “creative placemaking.”
Armed with her gift of storytelling, Aranibar-Fernández’s work with LISC will focus on co-creating with grassroots organizations from around Arizona. These organizations will be able to share their creation, aspiration and legacy through a medium of expression they prefer, in both digital and physical form. The ultimate goal is to use these stories to not only preserve the past, but inspire action in the future.
“I’m constantly learning, and curiosity has been my inspiration — having had the opportunity to live and travel in different spaces, learning how commodities move across the ocean,” Aranibar-Fernández says.
Following her curious nature, roughly 50% of her practice is research. She takes the time to learn why economies exist in certain places. All these economies require natural resources, labor and displacement of people, seriously affecting livelihoods and the environment, both near and far. Space, extraction, movement, migration — this cycle inspires her every day.
“I think a lot of my work references climate change. I’m interested in the ways that we as humans have decided that the land is in service to us,” she says.
She is fascinated by the way that humans have collectively decided we have the right to exploit natural resources and people, taking something boundless and unilaterally as a species and claiming it as our own. We take the land as property, we sell, we trade, we extract.
“The more we extract resources, the more harm we’re doing to the land. It’s a reflection of what we’re doing to ourselves. We’re made of minerals and all the elements. I’m really interested in that connection and disconnection,” she says.
The Earth has many layers of history, many layers of minerals, yet we act as if we are entitled to it. This entitlement to exploit does more than just harm the environment, it harms us, too.
Aranibar-Fernández believes we have lost our connection to the land, that we have forgotten we are also part of it. The irony of it all? Without the land, we are nothing. Yet we continue the cycle.
Aranibar-Fernández explores these dualities of life in her art. Connection and disconnection. Construction and destruction. Consumerism and waste. “We are no longer thoughtful about how we’re using resources.”
She thinks we need to reassess what “sustainability” truly means. It goes beyond greenwashing initiatives — even eco-friendly trends still promote consumerism. Real change will come from changing the way we consume, and bottom line, consuming less.
“Climate change has been an issue for so many decades now, but I feel because we’re so focused on the economy and how that runs, we have to wait for climate catastrophe to do something,” she says.
“We need to be more thoughtful … it’s not about replacing things, but being more conscious about the things we’re doing and the number of things we’re using. It’s about how we’ve reached a point where we can’t go back. People are just becoming aware of it. How can we create longevity with care and thoughtfulness?”
When asked if she believes art can change the world, Aranibar-Fernández says, “Artists have the ability to create stories that connect with people, and this can create change.” She believes art has the amazing ability to reach people regardless of language, age or culture. Art is sensory and emotional, so it can always communicate something to someone, wherever they are from. While it might be the primary vehicle to change laws or policies, it can inspire and motivate with a greater reach than other forms of communication or expression. That is the power art holds.
Aranibar-Fernández’s work has been exhibited in Bolivia, New York, Qatar, Nepal, Arizona, and more. She received her B.F.A. from the Kansas City Art Institute and her M.F.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has received multiple prestigious artistic fellowships and residencies. With many exciting exhibits upcoming this year, this talented visionary is sure to continue making waves.
To learn more about her work or to see upcoming exhibits, visit www.carolinaaranibar-fernandez.com.
