Meet Carlos Daniel Perez-Boza

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carlos Daniel Perez-Boza a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Carlos Daniel, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Staying creative is not easy. However, my studio in Hollywood does provide me the privilege of keeping myself creative. Outside of my studio practice I have a full time job as a professional art framer. I see all types of works coming in and out of our workshop at Castelli Framing. This inspires me to get myself back into my studio after a full day of work. Some days are easier than others. For instance, last week I started a new painting. When I am really excited about the direction of the artwork, I work all week on that one painting. The following week I get inspired by something I did on last week’s painting, and want to start another painting based on that inspiration. Now I have two paintings, both unfinished and each needs individual attention. How do I make this work? I had to teach myself that I need to finish one of them before completing another. I need to be able to complete all my work to avoid creating piles of unfinished inventory. Sometimes I find myself revising unfinished artwork I had begun four years prior. Because I respond to current events, sometimes the materials and resources I use might become unavailable in the future. For the last couple of years I’ve made it a habit to finish what I start. Taking charge and ownership of completing work helps me prepare for future shows because I can easily look back at my inventory to select artwork for viewing.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I, Carlos Daniel Perez-Boza, also known as Daniel Boza, identify as a self-taught, Afro-Latino artist from Puerto Rico and New York City. I have maintain a studio practice in California for 15 years and acquired my BFA in Community Arts & Painting at California College of the Arts in 2021. I currently work and live in Los Angeles. My work stems from collective loss, courage and resilience. My visions of epic change occur in an alternate dimension where past, present, future and the unseen collide.

I am excited to share that I’ve recently partnered with Sugar Press Art in releasing two prints La Batalla/ The Fight and Cotton Candy and Molasses. What I love about Sugar Press Art is the quality of their fine art prints on 100% recycled cotton paper. Sharing my work with Sugar Press Art has helped me brand and publish my work amongst the diverse pool of artists they represent. These prints are available at sugarpressart.com along with some of my original artworks.

I’m also excited to share that I’ll be part of this year’s La Bulla, the lucha libre music and art festival August 3-17 and El Velorio 2024 Art Show starting October 26.
Under the production of Antonio Pelayo La Bulla is a vibrant event full of festivities. Live wrestling, music, food and art are in celebration of the lucha libre culture here in Los Angeles. If you haven’t experienced it, I highly recommend. This will be my second year participating. El Velorio will be my first time participating and I am excited to take part in their “Dia de Los Muerto” theme as they do every year. The high turnout at these events speaks to the support and enthusiasm that Pelayo has inspired over the years. Both events will be held at La Plaza de La Raza at Lincoln Park in Los Angeles.

In addition I’ll have some art on exhibition at Messenger Gallery in Santa Monica August 1-31. Finally, I recently dropped a podcast with Rebel Canvas discussing the “Journey as a Creative Professional” https://canvasrebel.com/your-journey-as-a-creative-professional/ I recommend checking it out.
This year has been a building block. I’m grateful to share with my audience all the hard work I’ve been putting in throughout the years. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the curators and event managers for including me in these wonderful experiences.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back I think the best three qualities I had working for me was to perseverance, dedication to my craft and self-discipline. My advice to artists beginning their journey is to create a habit of self-discipline because only you can stop yourself from creating the work that you truly love and enjoy. Dedication requires time management. Never cut corners around the work, the work won’t create itself and staying at flow is easier said then done. Do dedicate time to your craft. Treat this like any meaningful relationship, and make it feel special. Perseverance is key for me because it has taken me almost 15 years to begin to acquire recognition in the art world. I didn’t have the right resources back then as I do now. This can lead to setbacks and frustrations and defeat. Understand that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Being an artist is not easy. It’s a passion and it can really pay off if you align yourself with what you truly believe is worth your time.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

Looking back I think the best three qualities I had working for me was to perseverance, dedication to my craft and self-discipline. My advice to artists beginning their journey is to create a habit of self-discipline because only you can stop yourself from creating the work that you truly love and enjoy. Dedication requires time management. Never cut corners around the work, the work won’t create itself and staying at flow is easier said then done. Do dedicate time to your craft. Treat this like any meaningful relationship, and make it feel special. Perseverance is key for me because it has taken me almost 15 years to begin to acquire recognition in the art world. I didn’t have the right resources back then as I do now. This can lead to setbacks and frustrations and defeat. Understand that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Being an artist is not easy. It’s a passion and it can really pay off if you align yourself with what you truly believe is worth your time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Danielboza.com
• Instagram: Daniel_boza
• Other: https://sugarpressart.com/artists/carlos-daniel-perez-boza/

Image Credits

Anne Martin
Nicole Rose Gelormino
Bryan Keith Thomas
David Huffman