“
Keep your face always toward the sunshine – and shadows will fall behind you.”
– Walt Whitman
“Thehorizonleansforward,offeringyouspacetoplacenewstepsofchange.”
“IfoundIcouldsaythingswithcolorandshapesthatIcouldn’tsayanyotherway”
“The horizon is not a limit. It’s an invitation.” – Unknown
Carol Muthiga-Oyekunle is a Kenyan-American artist and accessories designer. Her foundation in graphic design and a career as a luxury accessories designer has influenced her work. Lolita Lorenzo (named for her daughters Chiara Lola and Siena Lorenza) showcases her multiple disciplines: eyewear, minaudière, jewelry, home decor, illustration, and fine art. Carol is a graduate of the Royal College of Art in London (MA in Fashion). She lives and works in Paris.
In her work, women are portrayed as symbolic warriors, radiating strength and joy. Combining digital and mixed-media collage methods with photography and vivid graphical elements, the artist skillfully interweaves techniques to create bold and brilliant portraits of her female subjects. The resulting art depicts feminist themes from the past, present and imagined futures, holding up a mirror to a patriarchal society.
I love this quote of yours: “I am driven by the notion of the Woman as a symbolic warrior—her battles often go unseen." How do you apply feminism to your artwork?
First of all, I consider myself to be an artist, as opposed to a ‘woman artist’. Of course, there are elements rooted in this patriarchal society that dictate the metaphorical ‘boxes’ we put people in—the idea of ‘othering’. Certainly, as a woman, especially one that looks like me, I have had my fair share of adversity (and overcoming it) in life, based on these so called 'constraints'. I would say that the concept of feminism manifests itself through my representation of women—as magical, mythical, majestic, Goddess-like creatures. Transcending time and space. I am obsessed with the idea of duality: being strong yet vulnerable; being able to fight for what you believe in yet be completely imbued with love. Camouflage is a running theme in my artwork: one thing can look one way but be entirely another, at the same time. A lot of people interpret my work as being 'floral': flowers being a symbol of the "Sacred Feminin". I don't use flowers in my work but it is interesting that this motif replicates itself in unexpected ways in the natural elements I incorporate in my digital collages. I call the ubiquitous woman that subconsciously appears in my work as "The Intergalactic, Time Traveling, Woman, Warrior." Her hair is her helmet; her clothing is her armor; love is her shield. I have learned to stand firmly in the essence of my agency and unapologetically claim my space.
Your work has a strong influence of graphic design and fashion. Can you tell us more about your personal background and how your experiences inform your work?
I started my career as an Art Director in brand identity design in New York City. My journey started at Ogilvy and then I moved on to Glamour magazine and thereafter Lifetime TV. I had my professional successes quite early in life and for the most part being the only person who looked like me, in the room. Being a Kenyan-American allowed me to draw on my cultural identity to inform my work and navigate the corporate world at the time. I always knew that my calling was elsewhere a space where I took full ownership of my talent and agency, and could create the work for me. The events of September 11th were a catalyst to definitively following my bliss. I started my first accessories brand in January 2002. I was fortunate enough to grow my business worldwide and have a flagship boutique in NYC. Thereafter, I decided to take a hiatus in 2009 and moved to Paris to focus on my family. It was at this time that I started my luxury brand "Lolita Lorenzo" named for my two daughters. It was in this period that I started to create art, outside of designing my accessories collections and consulting for other luxury fashion houses. My experience with photography and fashion editorial magazine design at Condé Nast influenced the aesthetic of my work. I describe my technique as "digitally created using analog techniques". I wanted to represent women in a strong yet vulnerable and joyful light. Because we are the creators; the vessels and the shields.
What role does joy or beauty play in your creative process?
And would you describe your art as optimistic?
I believe that the state of Joy is our most natural 'default setting' as eternal souls. It is the Universe's gift to us. It is deliberately living in this state that we find or create Beauty. It is embedded in our DNA. That is where, I believe, the notion of having Hope comes from. Because, in the face of any adversity, Hope, somehow, directs us back to our original path. The Women Warriors that I depict in my art certainly are imbued with a feeling of joy, strength, optimism and the beauty that exists in each and every one of us. We are all divinely connected.
“The Women Warriors in my art are imbued with a feeling of joy, strength, optimism, and the beauty that exists in each and every one of us.”
– Carol Muthiga - Oyekunle
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