PERUVIAN ARTIST
Lorena Cairns By W. A. Muller
T
he pieces of Peruvian born artist Lorena Cairns are an explosion of what goes through in her mind transmitted on to her art work . She doesn’t just want people to like her art, she wants them to remember it. Finding creativity in anything in her surroundings, she uses her imagination all the time, visualising what materials could be put into place to create art. That’s where the magic begins. According to this artist, you can never make a mistake in art because it can always be corrected and made even better than it was before. The ideas that pop into her head are never ending. She feels she’s never finished with a work of art . Lorena uses a self-taught technique by incorporating whatever materials it takes to make her caricatures come alive. She incorporates objects, pieces of natural material, fabrics, and anything to create what she visualises in her mind, transcending it into her art work. She uses her imagination as her main tool to fuel her creativity into all her art work. It’s important that her art make people stop in their tracts and make them say “WOW”. She only feels she’s a true artist when her work touches people, making them forget their life’s worries by making them laugh and be happy. Born in Peru in 1974 to Richard and Carmen Sanford, she was raised both in Lima Peru and the USA. Her aunt Ada and grandmother Angelica played a great role. From the very young age of three, she knew what she was meant to do. Her parents, aunt, and grandmother were all very supportive . In 1981, Lorena enrolled in Art Classes run by Ms. Goldstein. When her parents purchased their home in Long Island, they made
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sure there was an art studio surrounded by windows full of light so their daughter could paint. Lorena spent many hours and weekends consumed in her art work. She also has an eye for design, being able to whip up any costume in seconds . In 1983, she designed and won a costume contest which was published in the newspaper. Throughout her school she was the only student selected to exhibit her first work of art. Her collage of an owl was exhibited in The People’s Republic of China. That same year she was enrolled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art attending art classes every Saturday in New York City. In 1988, through the Metropolitan Museum she was admitted to an art camp in Buffalo, NY. In 1990, she attended the prestigious Dwight School in NYC on a full art scholarship. She attended The Arts Student League in New York City as well. In 1993, after graduating from The Dwight School, she was accepted to The Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City, where she briefly studied acting. She attended Marymount Manhattan College where she majored in Art History. She dabbled in modelling and acting in Peru joining the Stock Modelling Agency and appearing in two soap operas. She also did ads in New York. Although having ample opportunities to have been an actress, she opted for her passion in pursuing her art. She is happily and proudly married to Mr. Roger Cairns with two daughters and two step daughters. She also has her dogs and rabbits. Sarah and Carmen are very creative and enjoy learning and doing art with their mom. Mr. Cairns owns many of the finest nursing homes in the UK, where he proudly displays his wife’s art work.
