Newport Gallery Opens Season with Work by OZMA - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Newport Gallery Opens Season with Work by OZMA - Inside Art with Michael Rose

Rhode Island is full of promising young artists working on an exciting range of projects. For Kiara Costa, who creates art under the pseudonym OZMA, inspiration comes in numerous forms and plays out in a variety of media. Starting April 1, Costa will be the subject of a season-opening pop-up exhibition at The Kings Lens and Friends at 7 Carroll Avenue in Newport. The two-week event featuring Costa’s work is an ideal opportunity to explore the creations of one of the state’s emerging talents.

 

Costa’s creative moniker OZMA is borrowed from the name of a fairy queen from Frank L. Baum’s Wizard of Oz series, which the artist read as a teenager. Costa adopted the name originally as a tag when she was experimenting with graffiti and now puts it to use in a broader array of applications, from artworks created on found objects to customized clothing. Reflecting on the name, Costa considers her own multi-faceted identity as an art maker and as a person. She says, “Ironically, in creating OZMA I’ve sort of become the Wizard character, but behind that curtain, I’m a mother, a sister, a daughter, and friend. Behind the curtain are all the memories I cherish.”

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Titled “I’ve Loved The Good Times Here,” Costa’s show at The Kings Lens and Friends includes work executed on surfaces like postal mailing boxes, bar receipts, and even drink coasters.

 

Mostly self-taught, the artist’s style draws from a few points of reference blended together to form a distinctly personal voice. Describing Frida Kahlo as an idol, Costa also points to Andy Warhol’s work as formative of her own, saying, “His use of colors, references to pop culture, even the persona he created for himself all resonate. As an adult, I’m trying to become a sponge again, absorbing everything around me and recycling it into my artwork.”

 

In much of Costa’s work, this push and pull is evident. There are hints of the narrative elements that define much of Kahlo’s art, but there are also the bold Warholian features. Markers are a staple of Costa’s production, as are the unusual two-dimensional supports that play host to her creative energies.

 

Costa has engaged in partnerships with places ranging from The Dean Hotel, a posh spot in downtown Providence, to Top Shelf Vintage Co., a bohemian retail space in Pawtucket. She is currently participating in an artist residency at the Providence outpost of the Cambridge Innovation Center and is also a member of the inaugural cohort of WaterFire’s Accelerate program for young artists. Her resume is that of an art-maker tipped for success.

 

The show at The Kings Lens and Friends, a space founded in 2016 to show the work of photographer Patrick Murphy and artists in his circle, is the next step in Costa’s artistic journey. It will offer visual art enthusiasts an early chance to discover and support a rising star on the local scene.

 

Costa’s goals for her artistic practice are ambitious and she outlines them eloquently, saying, “As I continue with art I hope to also continue to build a sense of community in Rhode Island and beyond. I hope that my art keeps evolving, that I’m able to experiment with new materials and new mediums. Most importantly, I hope to break down any barriers that might keep me; a twenty-something-year-old parent, person of color, without a BFA from selling work in high-end galleries. I want to be persistent, consistent and expand my artistry in a manner that allows me to have the freedom to be an artist full time and create everyday.”

 

Through her diverse OZMA-branded projects, Costa wants to change preconceived notions of what is and what is not fine art. Considering what she wants viewers to take away from seeing her recent work, she says, “I not only want to reach a broader audience of people but to also show what I’m capable of. That a painting on a Chinese take-out menu can be high-value art.”

 

With a well-deserved solo feature in Newport, Costa will undoubtedly shake things up and gain new fans among her fellow Rhode Islanders in the process. With her distinctive style and seemingly limitless creative energies, Costa’s passion for making art is bound to leave a lasting impression in the state and beyond.

 

Kiara Costa’s work is on view at The Kings Lens and Friends at 7 Carroll Avenue in Newport from April 1 - April 15, 2022. The pop-up will begin with an opening on Friday, April 1, from 5-9 pm. Gallery hours are Sunday - Saturday, 9 am - 2 pm each day. For more information visit www.thekingslens.com.

 

To learn more about Costa, aka OZMA, follow her Instagram @ozmaart.