Photos: Chris Emeott
When artist Carolina Nuñez Bussolini moved to Woodbury with her husband, Emiliano Fornaroli, and daughter, Isabella Fornaroli Nuñez, she expected snow, quieter streets and a new culture. What she didn’t expect was how deeply the transition would shape her art. “I’ve lived in Woodbury since January 2022. We moved here for my husband’s job, and although the transition brought many challenges … it has become one of the most meaningful chapters of our lives,” Nuñez Bussolini says.
Nuñez Bussolini grew up in Argentina, where she spent her childhood drawing, painting and experimenting with every material she came across: clay, paper, recycled materials and more. “Some of my earliest memories are of sitting beside my mother, painting for hours,” Nuñez Bussolini says.
When Carolina Nuñez Bussolini was growing up in Argentina, she spent her time drawing, painting and experimenting with various materials. Now, the Woodbury resident is a full-time artist specializing in acrylic on canvas.
At college, she first pursued architecture before graduating with a degree in public and institutional relations from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa. She worked in telecommunications for many years and also trained in Reiki and gem therapy, “exploring symbolism, energy and the emotional layers that now play a central role in my artistic expression,” Nuñez Bussolini says. Like many artists, art remained a central focus of her life even while she held other jobs. “Art was my refuge, my playground and my way of understanding myself. That feeling has never left me,” she says.
Nuñez Bussolini started selling her art many years ago in Argentina, participating in exhibitions, fairs and collaborative projects with other artists. Her résumé includes more than 30 exhibitions in Argentina, plus international visibility. To name just a few of her awards and accomplishments, Nuñez Bussolini was a finalist in the 2018 Global Art Awards in Dubai, where she represented Argentina, and exhibited at the 2019 Carrousel du Louvre’s Art Shopping Paris.
In Minnesota, Nuñez Bussolini has continued to expand her reach. She has shown artwork at the Minneapolis Institute of Art store, displayed 16 works at Wells Fargo Place, participated in CLUES exhibitions and collaborated with companies, including 3M and Ecolab for Hispanic Heritage Month. “Each opportunity has helped me grow not only as an artist but also as a person,” she says.
Today, Nuñez Bussolini is a full-time professional artist, exploring a wide range of media and subjects. “Every day I paint, design wearable art, develop new collections, create sculptures … I love the fluidity of moving between canvases, fabric, textures and digital formats,” Nuñez Bussolini says. If she has to choose a primary form, it’s acrylic on canvas, but even her paintings incorporate all kinds of materials for depth and texture—glitter, gold leaf, inks and more. “I gravitate toward abstract expression—an intuitive language driven by nature, music, movement and emotion,” she says.
Carolina Nuñez Bussolini is drawn toward abstract expression, as seen here. She often incorporates textures, such as glitter or gold leaf.
In addition to paintings and sculptures, Nuñez Bussolini’s wearable art is also popular. She designs kimonos, leggings, silk scarves, swimwear, tote bags and even phone cases—pieces that reflect her philosophy of bringing art (and joy) into everyday objects and moments. Her scarves have been sold at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and in smaller galleries and shops around the Metro. “My mission as an artist is to bring art closer to everyday life. I love blending fine art with wearable and functional pieces … My goal is to create art in motion, pieces that people can live with, feel and take with them,” Nuñez Bussolini says.
Carolina Nuñez Bussolini also creates wearable art, including scarves that have been sold at the Minneapolis Institute of Art as well as local galleries and shops around the Metro.
Much of Nuñez Bussolini’s inspiration comes from the natural world. “I find inspiration everywhere—in the sky, in landscapes, in emotions and in the memories that shape us,” she says. Listening to electronic music is an important part of her process too; it helps her get into a flow state for painting and guides her color choices and brushstrokes. Nuñez Bussolini says she looks up to many artists, designers and movements that influence her own creations. She loves Wassily Kandinsky’s use of color and form; the integration of art, design and everyday life in the Bauhaus movement; fashion designer Iris van Herpen’s combinations of movement, organic forms and technology; and Robert Wun’s silhouettes and bold, sculptural pieces.
Nuñez Bussolini says her artwork, because of its abstract style, is largely about what viewers feel—rather than the literal image they see—when they experience one of her pieces. “I hope viewers feel something—peace, energy, joy, inner movement. If someone looks at a piece and feels understood, inspired or uplifted, then I’ve fulfilled my purpose,” she says. She believes art acts as a mirror, reflecting back emotions that can be difficult to articulate.
Carolina Nuñez Bussolini
Instagram: @artcncuadros
