“Art is healing for me,” said Galilea Caro, a Berkeley High School (BHS) senior in Academic Choice (AC). “I don’t put pressure on myself to make something perfect.”
Caro started painting in the first grade and considers it to be a major part of her life. Though Creative Arts is the first art class she’s taken at BHS, Caro has taken many art classes outside of school, including Women in Art History at Berkeley City College.
Nature is Caro’s main source of artistic inspiration. Her work is mostly abstract, and she draws “whatever is in [her] head or whatever [she is] interested in.” She likes to experiment with all kinds of textures and materials such as clay, gouache, and oil paints. Caro’s sketchbook is packed with colorful art that is full of movement.
Born in Lima, Peru, Caro moved to the US when she was thirteen, and this huge life transition allowed for more artistic exploration. She said, “I was more free, I could experience more on my own, and that shaped my art.”
Being stationary during the pandemic was very beneficial for Caro. “I needed time to myself to figure things out and begin healing,” she said. She was able to pour her feelings into painting through the therapeutic power of art.
During her childhood, Caro felt drawn towards art because it appealed to her as an introvert. “This was my first experience using acrylic paints on canvas, which looking back, always felt really natural to me,” she explained. “I feel very connected to my inner child when I take the time to make art.