Meet Clarisse Abelarde | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Clarisse Abelarde and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Clarisse, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I think about the balance a lot. I feel like this is something that changes as circumstances come up. I say yes a great deal and figure things out on the fly, which can be stressful for most people. Still, I find solace in having a clear goal and a tight deadline and balancing this with recreational activities that double up as self-care is important to me, such as playing tennis to catch up with friends while being active or cooking a healthy meal to brush up on some skills while nourishing the body. In the past I have been neglectful of myself, but it is so necessary to prioritize taking care of yourself to be able to take care of others.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I use odd tools, such as corrugated metal, ceramic tools, palette knives, and anything I can find in the studio, to apply oil paint to the canvas to create portraits and spaces. Getting to where I am now took dedication, responsibility, hard work, and practice toward one goal: to become proficient in making paintings and being an artist full-time. It’s not easy, and I still battle with the challenges, but I can’t help but continue and persevere through the hard times because of a deep-seated desire to create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d take them gallery-hopping across the city from Jeffrey Deitch to Charlie James Gallery or Sow and Tailor. These are my favorite spots to hit up. In between, we’d probably go to Haidilao for some Hot Pot, or if it’s too hot out, maybe get some BBQ from Park’s Finest and grab ice cream from Honeymee. We’d visit some museums like LACMA, The Hammer at UCLA, Norton Simon in Pasadena and more. For each location we would explore the town and see some local sights and eateries.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to all my mentors who have helped me along the way: my professors Marie Thibeault, Siobhan McClure, and Daniel Dove- all of whom contributed to my current success and trajectory. I also want to shoutout a talented curator and director of art and outreach at Quinn Emmanuel, Alexis Hyde, who has deeply supported my artistic path and has been a cheerleader for artists globally.

Website: https://www.clartista.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clarisse.artist/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarisse-abelarde-9ba365162/