This is the lovely Carolina Murillo-Morales, yet another artist I met through the 100in1day Montreal community. I remember reading about her proposed phone booth project and making sure I was the one from the media team to document it. In both editions of the festival, I started the day off by seeing her transform phone booths in her Belle project.
(Despite matching the booth, that kid was not part of the installation)
Carolina doesn’t spend all of her time in phone booths though. I visited her art studio at The Long Haul in Montreal a few times. If you've never been in an art studio collective before, you should, they're fascinating. As you walk along the slim hallways, a suite of closed doors tease you and invite you to guess what hides behind. If you get a glimpse, it’s like peaking into someone’s brain. Each studio is an artist’s microcosm with its own chaos and personality.
Carolina shares her space, so you don't see her art right away (you likely first notice the hanging taxidermied squirrel floating above your head). She’s been working in another art studio all day and is now back at the Long Haul after all other artists have already left. The radio quietly plays in the background, and the kettle is on. I can see her past art installations packed against the wall. This is her workstation:
She uses beads, thread, and needle.
What I love about Carolina’s art is the thought process and emotion that goes behind each piece. When I pointed out particular pieces, she wouldn’t just explain how she created them, she would describe what was happening in her life while she was creating it. Her work is very personal - each piece seems to have its story and reflects her thoughts and emotion during that time of her life.
I love the stories I hear with each artist I meet, there's always something to take away. I sometimes get advice on how to live a creative life. I hear about their artistic journey - some had a clear vision that was achieved through sheer determination, others went through many detours to arrive where they are now. I always leave these shoots inspired. After speaking with Carolina I realized that many photographers including me are lacking a personal connection to our work and it's definitely something I want to work on. Check out her work here and stay tuned for more!
Click here to check out the gallery with the other Montreal Artists I've photographed!