Mara Sola is a Spanish visual artist who has been based in Norway since 2012. Her main medium is painting, though she also works with drawing, photography, installation, and sculptural objects. Encounters with new places and environments have been central to her practice, prompting her to reflect on consciousness and the construction of subjectivity. Influenced by transpersonal psychology as developed by Carl G. Jung and others, her paintings and small sculptures function as metaphors for exploring the human psyche.

Sola holds a BA Honours Degree (2010) from G.M.I.T in Ireland. She has exhibited at Hå Gamle Prestegard (2018), Studio17 in Stavanger (2014), The Linenhall in Castlebar, Ireland (2012), and Dublin Contemporary (2011). She has also been an artist-in-residence at Sachaqa Art Center in Peru (2015) and Ajay Sharma School in Jaipur, India (2014). Her works are represented in the collections of Visual Artists Ireland, the Office of Public Works in Dublin, and private collections in the U.S., Norway, Ireland, the U.K., and Spain. In 2010 she received the “Emerging Artist” award from VAI. She is a member of NBK and BKFR.

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What inspired you to become an artist?

I would say it was an unconscious choice?! I remember standing on the promenade in my coastal hometown in Spain, watching street artists making portraits of passersby or commissioned sitters. I was fascinated by the idea that, as an adult, you could spend your life doing what you love.

I initially studied art out of curiosity, without the intention of pursuing it as a career. However, that curiosity kept growing over the years and gradually became a natural path for me. I believe we don’t truly become artists — it is something that already exists within us, waiting to be nurtured and expressed.

Are there any artists or movements that have influenced or inspired you?

I studied in Ireland, where I was inspired and influenced by artists such as Barrie Cooke, Hughie O’Donoghue, and Alice Maher, while also looking toward international figures like Peter Doig, Laura Owens, and Elizabeth Magill.

My inspiration has never been limited to painting alone. In my early years as an art student, I often drew from poetry and magic realism literature, particularly the works of Gabriel García Márquez. As both life and my practice evolved, I became increasingly interested in psychology, the construction of the self, and human relationships. This led me to explore existential questions through Jung, Schopenhauer, Buddhist philosophy, and transpersonal psychology.

What themes or ideas do you explore in your art?

In my work, I explore the connection between nature and the human mind, focusing on how landscapes can reflect and shape our emotions and perceptions depending on our inner state.

I am particularly interested in the transcendental aspects of being human, our relationship with plants and the earth, and the transition between life and death. Alongside this, I also investigate themes of identity and cultural displacement, drawing from my own experience of living abroad and how new languages, places, and cultures can both challenge and transform us. Through all these explorations, nature remains a constant.

What materials and techniques do you like to work with the most?

I mainly work with oil painting, but I also explore other techniques and materials as part of the creative process. I don’t like to limit myself, as I believe one of the great freedoms of being an artist is the ability to experiment and discover through making.

For me, this can include drawing, photography, installation, textiles, embroidery, watercolors, collage, encaustic, and more — each medium offering a different way to develop ideas and keep the process alive.

Are you working on any upcoming projects you can share?

Yes, I’m currently preparing for a solo exhibition at Frida Hansen Hus in Stavanger. I’m really excited about this project, as it explores a theme I have been developing for many years but have not yet had the opportunity to fully present.

Is there something you dream of doing or exploring in the future?

There are many things I dream of doing and exploring, but one that stands out is the opportunity to travel abroad for an artist residency. I would also love to dedicate time to learning new artistic skills, as I believe that continuing to grow and challenge myself is an essential part of my practice.

What can someone expect during a studio visit with you this year?

Besides a warm welcome and a good conversation!? Visitors can expect a little peek behind the curtain — to see some of my works in progress, sketches, experiments, and the messy but exciting process that brings everything together. I love sharing the stories and ideas behind the paintings, so it’s as much about the journey as the finished pieces.