Niurka Guzmán Otañez

Dominican artist Niurka Guzmán Otañez (based in Mexico) shares her practice in ART MAKER Issue 1:


"My work consists of a constant reflection on the role of women in Latin American society. I am always questioning which stereotypes are current in defining femininity. Throughout history, the representation of women has been distorted through their association with comportamientos típicos, or mannerisms which are understood to be part of everyday cultural behavior. Mass media consolidates certain models of female mannerisms.

I focus my attention on fairy tales and on their consequences on gendered social relations. I portray elements of quotidian life to convey the situation of the Latin American woman. My principal objective is to destabilize the symbolic order attributed to the mannerisms associated with women. I use images and symbols which challenge social conventions through humor and irony.

My work uses the traditional techniques of tempera painting and encaustic for their visual and material richness. At the same time, I use engraving and design to incorporate them in a language, where my intention is to emphasize the visual effect of the material as a means to reinforce concept and present visually interesting works."

See more of Niurka's work in >> ART MAKER Issue 1

Niurka Guzmán Otañez, Flor de Luz Viva, 2015, Collography, viscosity printing y acuarela on paper, 22in x 30in.