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[Danilo Parra](https://www.cohart.com/daniloparra/profile) is a Chilean-American artist and filmmaker who creates oil paintings as single-frame stories. Beginning his artistic journey in San Jose, Danilo later moved to New York to pursue documentary storytelling, a career that allowed him to explore the world and deeply observe cultural and environmental issues - insights he now weaves into his paintings. He captures characters in moments of transition, using dark, moody palettes contrasted with vivid colors to highlight the tension between hope and despair, intimacy and isolation. These ambiguous settings invite viewers to immerse themselves into the narrative.

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#### Tell us about your artistic journey

I'm still figuring myself out and maybe that's what painting is for and what I like about it. I'm an introspective person, so I like to go inward and look around inside and come up with ideas that I can take outside of my head.  

#### What first drew you to make art?

My mom put me in public schools that had a lot of art, music, and theater programs. She is a singer so I think she understood the importance of self-expression. 



#### What inspires your work, and where do you find your ideas?
My mind is always buzzing with ideas, and painting helps me find focus. When I’m emotionally confused, I paint the feeling to understand it. Sometimes, I paint a still from a film idea I'm thinking about,  a single image that captures the whole story. 


#### What makes your artistic approach unique?
I never learned how to oil paint from anyone, so maybe I'm doing something wrong that hopefully is unique. It's hard to explain what unique is but some people say I have a style which is hard for me to notice. I think every artist is unique, though, and I encourage everyone to paint in their life to see what style they have. 

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#### What does a typical day in your studio look like?

I start my day with yerba mate and the news, then look at my painting to see what it needs. If inspiration strikes, I dive in. If not, I refine what’s there until new ideas emerge. If a piece isn’t working, I paint over it or move on to another. Once I paint over something, even though I may be erasing a few days of work, I seem to break through to something better. A volcano uses molten lava to destroy so that new life can grow. 


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####  How has your artistic voice evolved since you started creating?

I’ve learned not to be too precious; if something looks bad, I just paint over it. That freedom removes the hesitation. Some might see blemishes or texture as flaws, but I love them. Even a hair stuck in the paint adds character. Mistakes are what make a painting interesting.



#### What role does experimentation play in your practice?

Experimentation always leads to progress. I think my motivation would become exhausted if I stopped experimenting. 





#### How does your cultural background or life experiences influence your work?


My dad is Chilean, and he came to the US with nothing and had to start from scratch. That kind of courage inspires me and gives me deep empathy for others doing the same. Life isn’t fair for everyone, and that imbalance shapes my work, especially in the paintings that speak to it.



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#### What's the most challenging part of being an artist?

Self-expression creates a vulnerable feeling, which I don't think about much when making the work, but eventually, when I make the decision to show the work, that's the hardest part. That's judgment day for artists. But it's also one of the most rewarding parts of the process. 


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####  What do you hope people feel or think when they see your work?
I hope they feel something that helps them out. At that point, it's up to them, but I like it when people become inspired and maybe feel encouraged to start painting, making films, writing poems, or go outside and play in a forest. 


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#### What advice would you give to someone just starting their artistic journey?
If you're afraid or nervous or unsure about starting your creative journey, then paint that feeling or make a film about it, or write a poem about it, and then, you’ve started. **Then erase it all and build on top of it so that you understand both destruction and creation.**

#### What excites you most about where your art is headed?
I'm optimistic that I'll continue to improve, simplify, and find new ways to work. I like to paint animals so maybe I'll be painting more animals at life size scale. Or if aliens come, maybe I'll paint some alien portraits for them. 


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Artist and filmmaker Danilo Parra shares his creative journey, process, and how he finds inspiration through introspection and experimentation.

Spotlight: Danilo Parra on Storytelling - from Filmmaking to Painting

Spotlight: Danilo Parra on Storytelling - from Filmmaking to Painting

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