Meet Ismarlyn De La Rosa

We were lucky to catch up with Ismarlyn De La Rosa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ismarlyn, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Many say it is something you are born with, others that it is something you learn, I think both are valid, you are born with certain abilities and when you discover them and find passion in them, you develop them even more with practice and desire. I found my purpose thanks to not having a purpose, because of the need to fill a space in me that was not satisfied with anything other than creating and thanks to the support of my family I managed to find a niche and refuge in what I love.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

my name is Marl, im 21 years old and I am a multidisciplinary visual artist from Dominican Republic who experiments with different media to communicate and create connections through different canvases; By observing in detail I am able to connect with unusual characteristics of the skin of life.

My work seeks to materialize an internal essence. I speak through the evolution and mutation of being; the grotesque corporeal exaggeration and the presence of a mass (and not) an identity. I express this through different media such as drawing, painting and installation, the latter being the least legible. I work with fabric, an element very close to all people. I am interested that whoever approaches my work feels noise, various feelings; make connections, question yourself and perceive a lonely look.

I love to express myself through art because I feel that most of the time words are not adequate or sufficient to communicate, through this same art, I burst with emotion, joy, anger, melancholy, etc. The most beautiful thing about this work is that others manage to connect with that non-verbal conversation and it becomes a fluid communication between the viewer, the piece and me.

I currently have exhibitions where I present installation pieces, painting and drawings for the most part, although these formats are used with mixed media that allow me to communicate. However, I also work as a tattoo artist, which is a work of extreme intimacy with the body and the human essence where they allow me not only to frequently touch the soul as the pieces do, but I directly introduce my energies into the masses, the skins, human shells. I make my own designs based on Dominican memory, the body and the beauty of nostalgia, working with few details and fluid lines.

In future projects there will be works involved in fashion since I have always been very involved in this and fabric and its derivatives have been an essential element in my artistic work.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

sere honesto, soy muy mala para seguir rutinas, cumplir con tareas y ser constante, es algo que me ha costado trabajo pero ha sido lo que me ha ayudado a seguir adelante y no rendirme.

lo que recomiendo es tener una vision clara de que quieres hacer, por qué y para qué. Luego todo eso hacerlo desde lo mas proundo de tu ser y desnudarte emocionalmete contigo mismo, no hay secretos en esta relacion del arte. debes hablar con tu verdad ya que hay muchos hablando de la verdad ajena y eso se queda corto
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I’ll be honest, I’m very bad at following routines, completing tasks and being consistent. It’s something that has been hard work for me, but it’s what has helped me to keep going and not give up.

What I recommend is to have a clear vision of what you want to do, why and for what. Then do all of that from the deepest part of your being and undress yourself emotionally. There are no secrets in this relationship with art. You must speak your truth since there are many speaking about the truth of others and that falls short.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

I think punishing myself, because if it hadn’t been for the boredom of being at home alone and without social networks etc. at the age of 13, I would not have been interested in drawing or anything like that, in the same way my mother and my brother always supported me, they let me paint the walls of my room, make drawings, murals, since I was little I was involved in art dancing ballet, bellydance, hip hop, theater etc. and they paid for tattoo classes and when it came to choosing a university career, my mother directly offered me to study arts at one of the best schools in the country and my aunt welcomed me and supported me too throughout that process. So I thank them for everything from the punishments and fights, to the laughter and achievements.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Valentina Alvarez
Scarlet Grullón
Ismarlyn De La Rosa

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