Where can I see her art?
Instagram: @alegotera.art
Webpage: https://www.alejandragotera.com/
HCC Art Galleries in Tampa Bay, Florida (June 26,2024-Feb 27,2025)
Echoes: Weaving Identity and Belonging at Zhoub B Art Center in Chicago (starting Sept 20, 2024)
Alejandra Gotera is an abstract painter from Maracaibo, Venezuela who lives and works in Miami, Florida. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from the University of South Florida. She jokes about how sometimes friends treat her like a child, but I see a strong Venezuelan woman full of light.
Her Story
Tell me about yourself.
" I knew I wanted to pursue Art and in Maracaibo I felt like I was in the wrong place for this. I wanted to go someplace else. My options were discarded by my papi: "Don't go to Caracas because of the city's insecurity", "don't do the new experimental art degree what if they close mid-term", "don't study abroad in Italy because of the high costs, please tone it down (bájale cinco)". However, there was a study abroad office at my English school and I went in secret with my sister to seek out guidance. They told us about different options which we told our mother who convinced our father to meet with the study abroad counselor. He had a very serious attitude on that day. But, we found a way. And, I ended up in Tampa starting my first year at the University of South Florida with an 'I can do anything' mentality only to meet a wall of culture shock. I truly thought I was an 'all-terrain' sort of person, the kind that 'lets it flow'. But, I could not find myself. I came from a small town living with my parents to the United States art scene. With time, I found my people but in hind-sight, I could have created a better art community. "
Alejandra was seventeen in a new country and we sometimes underestimate the courage it takes to migrate.
" The University taught us to think like artists, I would often cry and/or rage after a critique. But, they did not teach us skills to do business as an artist. The only class called 'real world' was taught by an academic adviser who used twenty year old slides. I recently took a seminar for 'Skills for creatives' and I have to tell you I was not the only one with my hands over my head with the financial and marketing concepts. After graduation, I worked for Anthropologie and The Art Shack in Miami. In the midst of looking to obtain a work visa (yes, no, maybe?) I ended up applying for asylum. Which to be honest, feels like limbo. And am now working at KLA Academy. "
What does it mean to you "finding space through my marks"?
" During my University years (2013-2017) my paintings were more colorful and brighter because I wanted to show 'positivism'. The concept behind my art started as "to find balance within chaos". I remember distinctly a Professor's critique: "Your paintings are very sad, you are looking for something you are not going to find, these constructs do no exist". I was scarred. It got me thinking about the concept of 'time'. 'Time' does not exist. It is a human construct. Therefore, I had to insert being human into the concept behind my art; which evolved into "finding balance within you". Moving from the big scheme to the smaller. Raising questions such as 'How do I find myself in this space I inhabit?'. So I began to paint what I call 'mental landscapes' that show how I am feeling in this space at this moment in time. I believe Jay Shetty puts it beautifully: "we are not our minds". I am the one living with this mind and this body. I need to find my being within this mind and this body. "
Alejandra's work is closely linked to psychology and mental health. It brings me to think about the Jungian shadow. She remarks how the chaos in her life have led her to find herself through painting.
" My paintings are safe spaces. They remind the observer to take a breathe and connect with yourself. Just like the Apple Watch alerts you to breathe. They can be used as a meditation tool for the observer to concentrate on any line and lose themselves in the world. "
What materials do you use?
" I usually use acrylic, color pencil, watercolor, charcoal, graphite, and oil pastel. My heart warms when I get my hands dirty, full of paint. "
At that last phrase, Alejandra tells she does not know how to explain the feeling she has when painting. But I have seen her paint on the train going to work and on the beach surrounded by friends. She paints whatever she can get her hands on: jean jackets, sneakers and phone cases. All with a determination in her eyes while making her little marks swirl through space and time.
What are you focused on now?
Alejandra mentions she is working on a new series of smaller paintings. She wishes to make her work more accessible for the audience.
" The new series I am working on now show more figurative shapes. They are smaller paintings and I am using more paint markers and watercolor. The concept behind the new series is compartmentalization. Did you know an average person has 60,000 thoughts a day? It is a lot of information. And compartmentalization helps you process all these thoughts, plus all the stimuli your body receives in a day. It is my current state of mind: of letting myself know that it is OK to not be flexible all the time. To take your time to process. I am very aware that everything changes all the time: that chaos is always there. And when the chaos becomes unbearable, it is telling you to move. To look at chaos from a different angle. As the quote somewhat goes 'Innovation is to change the world. Creativity is changing the way you see the world so you can change it'. "
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