Interview
Karim López
Karim was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic in 1982. He is an architect, designer, illustrator, and audiovisual creator. His works have appeared in international magazines such as RevolutionArt and Punto de Encuentro, album covers and editorial publications — including six consecutive anthologies of the Concurso de Cuentos de Radio Santa María during 2016 to 2021.
In 2005, Karim created his personal blog POP69, where he has created eight thematic series of illustrations with accompanying writings. A selection of these illustrations have been published in the book ‘Ristras: Drawings and Stories of Karim López’, released in October 2021.
Karim has been a collaborator of COTURNO Teatro and Circuito Cultural Caramana since 2013, participating in promotional poster designs and musical adaptations of theatrical plays.
Besides directing music videos and short films, Karim has also directed the audiovisual editing and graphic art of the documentary Allen Report: Retracing Transnational African Methodism, by Alanna Lockward, which was nominated for Best Documentary at La Silla Awards 2017. The short film, Cosas Que Pasan, by Danilo Rodríguez which Karim also directed was nominated for Best Short Film at La Silla Awards 19.
Karim is member of the rock band Pranam as a vocalist, guitarist and composer.
Since 2017, he has participated in dozens of collective exhibitions in the Dominican Republic, United States, France and Spain. Karim’s first solo exhibition, ‘Arcanas’ opened in 2021.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Although I’m an architect and designer by profession, from a very young age I’ve always liked to draw. I drew in school notebooks, on loose pieces of paper and napkins, and made up stories. That became a communication tool for me. Over time, and after many years of practice, those skills were refined and perfected, and that became a motivation to share the works on more public platforms. In a way, that’s what I’m still doing to this day. I’m improving the way I do things and sharing the progress, translated into artistic pieces, trying to tell a story in each of them.”
What inspires you most?
“Everyday life, my experiences, dreams, and the experiences and emotions that others share with me are all great sources of inspiration. Everything that is done must at least have a beating heart at its core. That is what gives the piece its pulse.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I enjoy telling stories through my pieces—framing experiences and emotions in a universal context in which the viewer can identify something of themselves in the art. It’s the only continuous message they carry.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is figurative in its technique, with special emphasis on the human figure and the physical and mental spaces in which the characters unfold. Detailed in the elements that make up the drawing, and creating color palettes that rely on contrast for a greater dramatic effect.”
“My work is not one of protest, nor does it have many elements of denunciation. I usually try to make it work as a mirror, so that the viewer can see personal things about themselves, instead of trying to indoctrinate them.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I grew up fascinated by comics and picture books that belonged to uncles or cousins who were older than me, so my biggest sources of influence are illustrators like Jean Giraud (Moebius), Kay Nielsen and Doré, especially in terms of the way they handle strokes in their drawings. As painters, Salvador Dalí, Toulouse-Lautrec and Alphonse Mucha are among the main references. In more recent times, I find the work of artists like Kehinde Wiley and Dave McKean completely fascinating, even if at first glance they don’t directly affect the kind of pieces I make.”
What is your creative process like?
“It usually starts with an idea or graphic narrative that I’d want to pursue. The initial lines are sketched in ink on a sheet of paper, then scanned for layers of color and texture overlays, and finally, printed on canvas where the piece is intervened with pencils, ink and pastels to give it its finish. The mixture of all these processes mentioned above is what gives them their individual look and distinctive personality.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“The idea of the artist as a spokesperson for denouncing society has become a bit obsolete due to the proliferation of social media. Each of us has in our hands a communication and expression tool, such as our mobile phones, and those have many applications to carry public messages in a creative or artistic way, such as all the filters and options of Instagram or TikTok.
In this new context, the artist must play a mediating role between social currents and people, transmitting not only messages but also emotions, through the creation of pieces that make us reflect mainly because we see ourselves reflected in the work. More than answering questions or offering alternatives, the artist always joins in the eternal search for social or existential questions.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“A couple of exhibits this year have been particularly important, mainly because they took place overseas. Some of those are:
- International Art Fair ART3F 2022 at Porte de Versailles. Paris, France. You can view it here.
- Collective Exhibition ‘The Sena Bridges’. Galería Gaudi. Madrid, Spain, which can be viewed here.
- Solo Show ‘Arcana’ at Palacio Consistorial. Santiago, Dominican Republic. A redesign of the Tarot cards as Afro-Caribbean women, in order to get a full radiography of what makes these women unique. You can view it here.”
