Visual Art – Providence
Tamara Diaz is a visual artist and social worker whose art has been described as fantastical and metaphoric. While it certainly is colorful, Tamara’s Tropi-Pop style also demonstrates a strong emotional content. Often the images tell the viewer a story through symbols in a visual narrative form. The original feeling of the piece may have been painful, but the emotional process gets transformed through the colors and lines, often leaving the viewer with a happy or curious feeling. Tamara’s portfolios started in 1998 and range from colored pencil works, watercolors, paint on canvas paper, black ink on white paper drawings, photography, marker series and mixed media projects.
As a social worker and in her personal and professional life, Tamara uses art and play therapy as tools for self expression and healing. Some themes commonly seen are love, identity, community, diversity and life experiences. The goal is to express our emotions in a healthy way, to not feel so alone and to help others through providing an authentic voice, balance and expression of reality.
Tamara loves to travel and has spent time doing volunteer work in the Dominican Republic and Cuba and has also worked on several murals, in the Dominican Republic and Providence, RI. Tamara also opened her own store (physical and online) called “Tropical Soul” with items such as pillows, leggings, notebooks and much more. As far as inspirations, Tamara is mostly inspired by love, art/culture, music, helping others, everyday life, community work with children and families, her Cuban roots and traveling.
Tamara grew up in Barcelona, Spain and moved back to the NJ/NYC area at age 10. Inspired by the NYC (old school) hip hop and graffiti artist scene, Tamara began creating art and seeking out creative opportunities. Tamara lived in Philadelphia for 3 years and currently has her own counseling practice in Providence RI. She is also the School Social Worker at SouthSide Elementary Charter School in Providence, RI and has her own private practice providing counseling to children, teens and adults. Tamara is passionate about helping others and creating art, especially in her own neighborhood and community!