The latest solo exhibition by William Osorio, titled Only Silence Hears, at Miami’s LnS Gallery, proposes an introspective view. Behind his colorful and cheerful images lies a profound reflection on the brevity of life, the fleetingness of time, and the importance of living in the present.
The artworks on display were created in medium and large formats, and with a mixed-media technique combining painterly elements with textiles closer to Folk Art. For some years now, several artists have turned to handcrafted methods associated with popular art to produce their works. Many have incorporated textile-related processes such as weaving and embroidery. Following this trend, Osorio employs techniques traditionally associated with crafts, like handwoven rugs. His creative process involves outlining the composition on the canvas, then cutting and sewing it onto the rug, and finally painting on it. According to the artist, the texture of these rugs connects him to the feeling of wellbeing he felt in his childhood days when he used to lay on the grass.
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William Osorio. La danza de la razón (The Dance of Reason), 2023. Oil on canvas hand sewn on rug. 144 1/64 x 181 17/64 in. (365.8 x 460.4 cm).
Several pieces in the show reference classic works within the history of Western art, which Osorio reinterprets and adapts to a contemporary context. This sort of appropriation has been widely used, especially by postmodern artists who incorporate explicit or implicit references to previous artworks and movements. Osorio’s pieces point to works from different periods, which reflect pleasure and leisure as intrinsic aspects of the human condition.
The central piece, displayed on the most visible wall of the space, is La danza de la razón (The Dance of Reason, 2023). This large-format composition depicts a group of four women wearing identical dresses in yellow and orange with white ovals floating in the wind. They are dancing together but also separately, each one immersed in her inner world. They form a kind of circle, moving with a cadence that resembles a ritual. Some have their eyes closed, entirely devoting their other senses to the act of dancing. The women share similar silhouettes, skin color, and hair, suggesting they might be related. They are immersed in a timeless landscape devoid of elements that could connect it to a specific place. The composition and theme bring to mind Henri Matisse’s (1869-1954) famous painting La danse (Dance, 1910), which also focuses entirely on the dance and is set in an ageless, unidentifiable space.
Volver a la tierra II (Return to Earth II) reminds us of Edouard Manet’s painting Déjeuner sur l›herbe (Luncheon the Grass, 1863). Although his intention to reference that work is evident, Osorio brings it into the present through contemporary characters: a man and a woman dressed in modern attire. Like the previous piece, the artist is not interested in depicting a specific context or place, but rather the enjoyment of a particular moment; in this case, the intimacy between two people.
By not situating the images in a specific context, Osorio speaks of his identity as a human being beyond nationality, emphasizing common qualities that unite us all. Each artwork addresses a theme related to pleasure, such as leisure, dance, or mere contemplation. These actions might be interpreted by some as “wasting time,” and yet they are essential aspects of life. They are examples of the well-worn proverb “stop and smell the roses,” and of the awareness of life’s brevity beyond its philosophical implications. This is precisely what the artist wants to emphasize—the much needed pause, illustrated through a hedonistic perspective. The paintings can also be interpreted as the time required to review one’s life; those moments when we examine what we’ve done and what remains to be done; our achievements and our regrets.
In these post-pandemic times, when the world is trying to recover while so many catastrophic sociopolitical events keep occurring, Osorio reminds us to find time to enjoy life’s small pleasures. Contemporary society is polarized and obsessed with the idea of economic and professional success, so Osorio invites us to stop, observe, and appreciate.
IRINA LEYVA