The COVID-19 global pandemic in 2020 has brought nearly everything in the world to a standstill as the public retreated to the safety of their homes and indoors to stay safe from the health risk that the virus poses.
Bolli Blas, the artist responsible for the birth of the bright-eyed Bollis that graces her paintings, also experienced the negative repercussions of the pandemic.
But by channeling the positivity that she usually pours out onto her paintings, she managed to overcome the trying time and make something productive out of it.
Staying Productive During the Pandemic
One of the things that the pandemic affected is Bolli’s exhibitions. These got cancelled or postponed, and those that pushed through didn’t see as high an attendance as they did prior to the pandemic.
“I don’t get the chance to meet too many people these days so I work a lot from memories. There have been shipping delays both for my art and for the supplies I need,” the artist added.
But despite all these setbacks, Bolli decided to look on the brighter side instead and use her time indoors wisely to benefit both hers and countless others.
“As well as becoming more prolific in the number of paintings I completed during this period, I spent time working on my website and getting my Instagram account up and running. A lot of people are lonely, even at the best of times, so I tried as much as possible to keep in close communication with a lot of facebook friends and followers,” she said.
Looking Forward to New Horizons
“In 2021, I’m planning to continue exhibiting in new places. To start reaching out beyond New York and European destinations and to exhibit in smaller places where they wouldn’t normally have too many art shows. I’m working with a museum in Puerto Rico this month and hoping to display my art in parts of Africa and Asia too,” she said.
The artist will also have a solo exhibition with a working title of “Bolli on a Wally” in Madrid in June 2021 where she will be making little Bolli sculptures for the very first time to display along with her paintings.
Bollis are the name of the bright-eyed characters that are ever present in Bolli’s art. These represent her perspective of a utopia that’s free from hatred and violence.
“There are also some other exciting projects I’m trying to get involved with which I will share more on once confirmed,” Bolli said.
