Visual artist and native Memphian Ari Rozario believes that art is a feeling thing.
Rozario spent her childhood sketching and doodling. Through the years, she’d sketch the Memphis bridge and certain places and experiences on Beale Street that were significant to her. After spending time away living in Atlanta, which became her second home, Rozario now describes Memphis as more of a feeling. “There’s a different feeling to being home and being around all these people who have seen you through all your stages and transitions,” she says. “It makes me feel like this is the right place to be at this moment.”
The artist will host her first showcase back home in Memphis at Seraphim Gallery, December 16th through 18th.
Gold is a common theme in many of Rozario’s pieces, including “The Golden Hour” and “The Golden Hour PT 2,” which can be viewed on her website and will be on display at Seraphim. In these pieces, gold elegantly blooms from one corner of a matte-colored canvas and onto the center. “Gold has a very royal feel to me. It makes the piece captivating,” she says. The gold in Rozario’s art turns the work into what feels like a statement piece — one that belongs in the entryway of a grand home or a sophisticated space.
Though Rozario often has a vision of what her next pieces will look like, ideas are just the start of an ever-changing final product. “The original idea is kind of like the foundational idea. So it can change in the process. That’s pretty normal for me,” she says. Acrylic paint is her primary medium, and one of her favorite colors to use is Montana Black. On the other hand, she also chooses color palettes in the moment and even experiments with different textures.
For Rozario, art has no rules. A typical creative process includes putting her headphones on and getting lost in music as she works. She will listen to music that reflects her current mood or feelings, and those feelings then inspire the finished product. “While I’m creating, nothing else exists,” she says.
When asked what type of audience she hopes to capture through her art, Rozario says it’s all about deeper thinking. “I think oftentimes, people who see art in person kind of just go into a space and say, ‘Let me tell you what I can see.’ It’s unique because it’s different for everybody.”
There can be many perspectives, and Rozario captures this idea in one of her favorite pieces, “One Shot.” As a mixed media piece utilizing monochrome colors and outlines of what can be interpreted as a basketball and basketball net, it has a deeper background message. Captured in its title, “One Shot” is about taking chances and following your dreams. “Whatever it is that you’re going through in life, you got one life to do it. You got one shot to do it,” Rozario says. “One Shot” will be on display at the showcase.
Looking ahead, Rozario has plans for future creations and experiences in the works, like more public opportunities, releases, and speaking engagements. Currently, she is working on releasing merchandise, including T-shirts that say, “From Ari, with love.” Rozario chose this phrase because, she says, “We all just need a little bit of love out there.” She wanted to do something different, to spread love through something more personal. “Whenever I sell a piece, that’s how I feel about it. This piece is from me to you — with love. It’s like a personal little note. It’s like … my little doodle as a child.”
Ari Rozario’s showcase at Seraphim Gallery (437 N. Cleveland) runs December 16th to 18th. “The Path of an Artist” black-tie event will be held the 16th from 6 to 9 p.m. Formal attire is encouraged but not required. From the 17th to the 18th, hours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with no dress code. Find Ari Rozario at arirozario.com, on Instagram and Twitter @AriRozario, and on TikTok @1AriRozario.