Katalina Guerrero
As a young child, Katalina Guerrero (she/her) drew on everything, including her own legs and the garden wall in Mexico, where she grew up. One of her first teachers was her father, a talented artist. He not only taught her how to paint and draw, but exposed her to materials such as wire and clay, power tools, and encouraged her to use her imagination.
As a teenager and young adult, Katalina sought out teachers in various corners of the world. She learned weaving from Mayan weavers in Chiapas, Mexico. She learned dyeing and block-printing techniques in Conakry, Guinea. Eventually, she earned a Diploma in Textile Arts from Capilano University, a Diploma from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute, and a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Emily Carr University.
Katalina has also faced a number of challenges. Raising a child on her own and dealing with the pain and fatigue of a chronic illness have at times derailed her artistic efforts, but she has managed to persevere in her artistic endeavours.
Katalina´s artistic work can range from expressions of subtle beauty to representations that are visceral and bizarre. Many of her paintings and textile collages include abstractions of the human body; particularly gesticulating hands which attempt to connect, communicate and bring the viewer into contact with their own embodied existence. Her use of fabric and thread is also at times evocative of the human body.
Katalina is particularly intrigued by the role of imagination in the perception of our embodied existence. As she searches for inspiration, she often imagines herself inhabiting other bodies. These imaginary embodiments are not always human, but always seem to have anthropomorphic elements; at times there are animals or plants morphing into humans, or bodies morphing into landscapes. These shape-shifting transformations explore how we are connected to the world, how the world affects us, and how this exchange shapes our identity.
Artwork Gallery (Click images to enlarge)
Artwork Below may be Different from what is Shown at the Exhibit
