“Before I begin any painting, I say to myself, ‘This will be my best piece ever.’”
A Dialogue Between Color and Culture
Fernando Osorio, a visual artist navigating life between Northern Virginia and Clearwater, Florida, brings a distinctive and evolving voice to contemporary art. His work spans both the United States and Peru, where he has participated in solo and group exhibitions in cities including Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Lima, Arequipa, and Trujillo. This bicultural engagement not only informs the aesthetics of his practice but also serves as a bridge between geographic identities, visual traditions, and cultural memory. Through a fusion of abstraction and figuration, Osorio’s art communicates something both deeply personal and universally resonant.
His formal education in the visual arts is broad and multidimensional, comprising studies in painting, sculpture, drawing, and graphic design at institutions such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), the Corcoran College of Art and Design, and the USDA Graduate School in Washington D.C. These academic experiences are complemented by personal mentorships with respected artists like Nicholas Wilton, Steven Aimone, Juan Pastorelli, Cristina Gálvez, and Pamela Caughey. The result is a body of work that reflects a rich interplay between rigorous training and creative freedom, where the foundations of color theory, structure, and visual storytelling are continuously reimagined.
Osorio’s artistic vocabulary is shaped by a lifetime of visual curiosity. From early childhood sketches of comic book characters and historical figures to the pivotal moment at age nine when he encountered the story of Van Gogh, his path was quietly being defined long before he consciously chose it. Though initially trained and employed as an engineer and professor in Lima, the birth of his daughter Melisa prompted a significant shift. Realizing that his true calling lay elsewhere, he left his previous career behind and embraced art full-time. This decision marked the beginning of a new phase, combining technical discipline with artistic sensitivity to form a unique and impactful creative trajectory.
Fernando Osorio: Between Abstraction and Allegory
Osorio’s work moves freely between abstraction and figuration, developing a visual language that is both intuitive and highly structured. His abstract pieces are rooted in modernist traditions but extend into something far more ancient and symbolic. Drawing inspiration from geometric patterns, archetypal motifs, and natural elements, his compositions are populated with lines and forms that function as independent entities. Each visual component carries an internal logic and emotive weight, as if imbued with character and voice. These elements do not merely compose the image—they inhabit it, engaging the viewer in a silent but powerful conversation.
The themes Osorio explores are diverse yet interconnected. His abstractions often aim to convey intangible experiences, such as spiritual emotion, intuitive knowledge, or the subtle rhythms of inner life. By working with light and shadow, saturated hues, and deliberate contrasts, he builds compositions that invite contemplation and interpretive freedom. His use of line and color becomes a means of guiding the viewer through an emotional landscape, where harmony and tension are held in careful balance. In this way, Osorio’s abstract work becomes a meditative portal, both anchoring and transcending the visual plane.
When moving into figurative territory, Osorio adopts a different yet equally expressive approach. Influenced by surrealism, symbolism, pop art, and classical painting, his figurative works reimagine canonical art history through a modern lens. He creates alternate realities where classical human forms float in environments of vivid color, dreamlike clouds, and suspended architecture. These compositions are not confined to narrative but rather suggest possibilities—what could be, what has been, and what lies just outside the edge of reason. His seamless blending of old and new visual idioms allows him to critique, celebrate, and reframe history in a language that feels contemporary yet timeless.
Anchored in Influence, Propelled by Intuition
Osorio’s influences are as expansive as his work. He draws inspiration from a diverse array of artists, both known and anonymous, ancient and modern. Indigenous creators from Peru and other cultures around the world form an essential part of his reference network, as do traditional Japanese and Chinese art forms. These sources connect him to a lineage of visual thinkers whose work transcends their era, offering aesthetic and philosophical touchstones. From his native Peru, artists like Alfredo Ruiz Rosas, José Sabogal, and Macedonio de la Torre hold particular significance, each contributing a layer to his understanding of national identity and visual culture.
European modernists such as Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian, and Kandinsky have also shaped his conceptual approach, particularly in his abstract work. Their experiments with color, form, and spiritual symbolism resonate deeply with Osorio’s own interest in non-verbal expression. Renaissance and Baroque masters—Michelangelo, Raphael, Titian, Andrea del Sarto, and Rubens—further inform his figurative sensibilities, especially in terms of composition, anatomical clarity, and emotional intensity. Meanwhile, American artists like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Roy Lichtenstein influence his material experimentation and bold visual contrasts, offering models of expressive freedom and graphic clarity.
Rather than narrowing his focus, this wide array of influences encourages Osorio to embrace multiplicity. His studio reflects this philosophy: a dynamic, functional space filled with an assortment of tools and materials. Whether working on canvas, wood panel, or paper, he combines traditional and experimental techniques with a flexible mindset. He often begins with acrylics for their quick-drying properties, later layering oil paint to deepen texture and luminosity. Despite the potential for distraction, he maintains a steady focus. The act of painting becomes immersive—a space where intuition and experience merge in pursuit of visual clarity and emotional resonance.
Fernando Osorio: Art as Offering and Intention
Each of Osorio’s artworks begins with a private declaration: “This will be my best piece ever.” This mantra is not simply aspirational—it is a reminder that each creation holds unique value, deserving of total engagement. For Osorio, the significance of a painting lies not only in its final form but in the journey of making it. While it is difficult for him to single out one piece as more meaningful than another, this commitment to process ensures that each work carries an intentional and heartfelt presence. The joy he experiences in creation is not reserved for the finished image—it is embedded in every brushstroke and decision along the way.
In addition to his studio work, Osorio is also passionate about public art and accessibility. One of his most cherished long-term visions is a project called Art for All, aimed at making original artwork available to a wider audience beyond elite circles. He sees art as a necessary human experience, not a luxury, and believes that creative expression should be part of everyday life. This initiative is not only about economic inclusion, but also about fostering a shared appreciation for visual culture in diverse communities. By bringing art into public view, he hopes to create spaces of inspiration and connection.
Osorio also envisions expanding his work with murals and community-focused installations. Public art, in his view, offers more than aesthetic enhancement—it provides cultural grounding and collective pride. Through large-scale abstractions, he aims to transform urban environments into visual sanctuaries, where form and color can resonate with the rhythms of everyday life. Whether through the intimacy of a portrait or the expansiveness of a wall mural, Osorio approaches every project with the same conviction: to make art that speaks, connects, and elevates.
