William Osorio’s ‘Common Ground’ finds art in overlooked moments

By Coral Gables Gazette staff

A new exhibition at the University of Miami invites visitors to slow down and look twice at scenes most people pass without noticing.

“Common Ground,” a solo exhibition by Miami-based painter William Osorio, is on view July 8 through Aug. 5 at the University of Miami Art Gallery at The Chapel, Room 112, 6565 Red Road. An opening reception will be held Thursday, July 9, from 5 to 8 p.m.

Four years of work, one throughline

The exhibition brings together oil stick paintings, collage and textile works Osorio made over the past four years. Rather than dramatic subjects, the work returns again and again to everyday scenes and quiet, often overlooked moments: domestic interiors, family gatherings and the small rhythms of daily life.

Using painted surfaces and reclaimed materials, Osorio builds layered compositions that curator Milly Cardoso frames as reflections on memory, migration, family history and daily life. The ordinary becomes the exhibition’s common ground, shaped by the artist’s experience and by what each viewer brings to the image.

One work on view, “Hermanos en la Víspera — Two Brothers on the Eve” — reflects the exhibition’s approach: a domestic scene rendered with the weight and attention often reserved for larger historical subjects.

An artist shaped outside the academy

Osorio was born in Holguín, Cuba, and migrated to the United States in search of creative and intellectual freedom. Rather than following a traditional academic path, he built his practice through self-directed study, research and years of studio work. He now lives and works in Miami.

His large-scale paintings combine gestural figuration, vivid color and layered material processes, drawing from classical painting traditions and contemporary abstraction to explore identity, displacement and life between cultures.

Osorio has shown in Miami and internationally, with recent exhibitions at LnS Gallery in Miami and Adrian Sutton Gallery in Paris and Brussels. His recognition includes the South Florida Cultural Consortium Award in 2023 and the Ellies Creator Award from Oolite Arts in 2022. He has participated in residencies at the Bakehouse Art Complex, MASS MoCA, Anderson Ranch and the Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College.

His work is held in collections including the Lowe Art Museum, Pérez Art Museum Miami, the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU, Miami-Dade County’s Art in Public Places Collection and others.

What to expect at the opening

Thursday’s reception offers an early chance to see the full body of work before the exhibition settles into its regular run. For those unable to attend, the gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., through Aug. 5. Private tours can be arranged by contacting curator Milly Cardoso.

What to know

“Common Ground” is on view July 8 through Aug. 5 at the University of Miami Art Gallery at The Chapel, Room 112, 6565 Red Road, Coral Gables. The opening reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 9. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available through the University of Miami Department of Art & Art History.

Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff

Originally established in 1996 and relaunched as a digital publication in February 2025, the Coral Gables Gazette is an independent local news organization dedicated to factual, objective and accountable community journalism. Our newsroom reports on the people, policies, institutions and events shaping Coral Gables, Florida, providing residents with timely, informative coverage of the issues affecting their community. Our reporting includes City Hall, local government, municipal elections, public spending, real estate development, business, education, arts and culture, and neighborhood affairs throughout the City Beautiful. We follow City Commission decisions, examine public records and report on the businesses, organizations and individuals contributing to Coral Gables. We believe informed residents are essential to a healthy, engaged community. Stories published under the Coral Gables Gazette News Staff byline are prepared or compiled by the publication's editorial team. We strive for accuracy, fairness, transparency and clear distinctions between news reporting, opinion and advertising. Readers are encouraged to submit news tips, corrections, editorial inquiries and story suggestions through our Contact page and learn more about our standards through our Editorial Policy.