In Other Studios: (Irene Calderón)
- HOSEU (hueso)
- Jan 23
- 3 min read
Irene Calderón, an artist from Costa Rica, shares her vision through the timeless art of oil painting, exploring the beauty of the human form. She focuses on the female body, using light and shadow to bring out both its strength and vulnerability.
In her portraits, Irene doesn’t just aim to show what someone looks like—she tries to reveal a piece of their soul. The way she plays with light and shadow gives her subjects a sense of depth, emotion, and presence, capturing both their physical essence and their inner spirit.
Sussan Corrales, a talented Costa Rican photographer, captured Irene wearing our pieces at her art studio. This provided me the perfect opportunity to interview Irene with six insightful questions that explore her inspirations and creative process.
What would you say is the main thing you aim to express through your work?
Rather than intentionally trying to express something, my goal is to show a part of what I see around me. I believe true expression happens when the viewer interacts with the piece and interprets it from their own perspective. For me, it’s about capturing what I observe: the people around me, the places I inhabit, and the everyday details that catch my attention.
How do you think simple, everyday moments influence the way you connect with what you create?
Simple, everyday moments are essential for me to connect with my creative process. For instance, the light streaming through my studio window is crucial for me to start working. Similarly, painting in the silence of the night often leads me to choose darker colors or focus on specific parts of the piece I’m working on. These everyday details end up shaping my relationship with creation.
What inspires you to explore the human body in your art, and how do you decide on the forms or emotions you want to convey?
Experiencing life through a human body inspires me to paint skin, faces, and figures. The emotions in my paintings tend to emerge spontaneously during the process—I don’t plan them out precisely. Over time, I realize that each piece reflects what I was feeling during the period I painted it. It’s a revealing process because, when I revisit my work, I’m often surprised to see those emotions captured in the pieces.
What inspires your choice of colors and textures in each of your works?
The choice of colors in my work usually starts with one color that deeply resonates with me at that moment. From there, I build the palette intuitively. Most of the time, these colors come from what I observe in my everyday surroundings—the tones that surround me and feel meaningful to me.
If you could paint anywhere in the world, without rules or limits, where would it be, and what do you think you’d find there to inspire you?
I’d love to paint barefoot, standing in a large body of water like the sea or a calm lake, where the water is completely still. I’m not exactly sure what I’d find there, but I imagine it would be the sensation of being in the water—the contrast between the liquid and the warmth of my body. I think I’d enjoy exploring that blend of physical and emotional sensations.
Do you think your painting style reflects your personal style or the way you dress? If so, how are they similar?
Many of my clothes appear in my paintings, but lately, I’ve been more focused on portraying skin than clothing. It’s as if my clothes find their place in the painting rather than in my personal style. Interestingly, the color palette I use in my art is very different from the one I wear. In my paintings, I allow myself to explore colors I wouldn’t choose to wear—it’s like the canvas becomes a space to experiment with tones I feel but don’t physically inhabit.
It’s truly beautiful to connect with such inspiring and talented women like Irene and Sussan. Interestingly, this shoot was quite complicated to pull off—it was originally planned to take place during a trip they had in Paris, but shipping the pieces proved challenging, and the items didn’t arrive in time. In the end, it turned out to be perfect, as the shoot took place in Irene’s studio instead.
I encourage you to take a look at both artist's works:
Irene Calderón
Sussan Corrales
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