_Apparitions_, the upcoming solo exhibition by Alonsa Guevara, will be on view, the old-fashioned way, at Anna Zorina Gallery in NYC from February 18th to March 27th. Following all social distancing regulations, the show invites you to explore the mysterious connection of human existence to the cosmic energy of the universe.
Through her paintings, Guevara ventures into the flora and fauna of the South American rainforest and showcases its divinity. Read the interview below to see the beauty of nature through her eyes.
The show will also be viewable online through both the [gallery’s](https://www.annazorinagallery.com/) and the [artist’s](https://www.alonsaguevara.com/about) websites.
Alonsa Guevara. _Ichor Crown_, 2019. Oil on canvas. 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9 cm).
**What can you tell us about your upcoming solo exhibition, _Apparitions_?**
The exhibition will surround viewers with large and small paintings of flora and fauna organized in a particular way to induce calm and wonder. They depict things like fruits, flowers, and insects, but they all coexist in an otherworldly way, endeavoring to carry the ordinary into the extraordinary. With this new work, I have been exploring ideas, patterns, and images that have appeared during my dreams, meditations, and experiences with plant medicine. Like in dreams, each work features open-ended symbolic elements left to be interpreted by the viewer.
I have been working on this show since 2019, and it has been an intense and exciting process. As we all know, many things have changed since the pandemic. For me, the last year has been doubly transformative. I found out I was pregnant just as the pandemic became serious. So, for the first time, I found myself on a literal and metaphorical island with my husband, pregnant, and painting for this show. Lately, I have been finishing up the last paintings with my son by my side. I invite you to come in the way that you can and enjoy the beauty of nature seen through my eyes.
Alonsa Guevara. _Call of the Ginger Flowers_, 2020. Oil on canvas. 20 x 20 in (50.8 x 50.8 cm).
**Where do you draw inspiration from for your artworks?**
I draw inspiration from many things, including memories, things I see throughout everyday life, dreams, the random thoughts that spring up in that lucid moment between waking and sleep—almost everything. I have to admit I’m in love with the natural world! Sometimes we get too busy to appreciate nature or even notice it. But, if we can pause for a moment, we can see there is so much beauty around us. I am inspired by nature’s precise design, shapes, colors, tastes, smells, textures, and sounds. I’m fascinated with our relationship to the Earth and being part of a cycle of life that is both ephemeral and, at the same time, perpetual. I learned early on that Mother Nature brings me joy. She calms me and makes me remember what is important. That’s why I decided to make it a part of my work and share it.
**How does being from Chile and having spent your childhood living in the Ecuadorian rainforest influence your art?**
I was born in Chile, and I moved to Ecuador from five to 11 years old. My dad is a veterinarian and agronomist, so because of his job, we were living on a farm with typical farm animals like cows, horses, pigs, chickens. And because we were located in the rainforest, right outside our house there were many wild animals, iguanas, colorful birds, butterflies, snakes, and unusual insects. I even had a sloth as a long-term visiting pet—until he crawled very slowly away. My brother and I played outside and explored the jungle all the time.
When my family and I moved back to Chile, my mom started a plant nursery from our house. She learned from her mother, who did the same. She sold plants, flowers, and fruit trees. That’s when my relationship with plants expanded. Helping in the garden, I learned to see plants differently and care for them. Until I moved to NYC, I had always been surrounded by nature. I guess my paintings are a way of bringing the natural world with me and, in a way, following in both my mother and grandmother’s footsteps.
Alonsa Guevara. _Nectar Crown_, 2019. Oil on canvas. 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9 cm).
**A recurring theme in this exhibition is symmetry derived from the idea of a mandala, what are you trying to express with this?**
There is something very satisfying about looking at an object with a specific kind of balance. Maybe it has to do with the fact that many things in the natural world appear to be symmetrical and mandala-like—we are, after all, part of nature. Symmetry comes within us, physically and even in our unconscious, for example, the patterns that you can see during meditation or when you press your eyes in a certain way. I was particularly inspired by the feeling of wholeness that the mandalas embody while making my tondo paintings for the Callings series and channeled the idea into arrangements of organic elements floating on the surface. The circular designs of interwoven flora and fauna explore ideas of abundance, fertility, cycles of life, and represent the interconnection and interdependence of the Earth and its living things.
Alonsa Guevara. _Call of the Pomegranate_, 2020. Oil on canvas. 36 x 36 in (91.4 x 91.4 cm).
**How did you start creating art?**
I have always loved making things with my hands. Since I was very little, I have made drawings, paintings, and embroidery/needlepoint works. I also loved to play music and sing. And, I still do. When I was 12, my grandmother introduced me to oil painting and I have never stopped since. My Abuela taught me every step of painting starting from building the stretcher bars and frames, boiling rabbit-skin glue, and how to stretch and prepare canvases.
**What would you say is your biggest accomplishment?**
This is a difficult question. I don’t think that I can name one single accomplishment. For me, the process is more meaningful than any achievement. I can say I feel grateful and proud to have helped build a loving family and to have given birth to my child, he is the best thing I have ever made! How lucky are some women to have the opportunity to create a new life inside our bodies! I am also thankful to be able to dedicate my life to doing what I love. Making art and make a living from it is a huge accomplishment for me.
Alonsa Guevara. _Call of the Blood Orange_, 2020. Oil on canvas. 24 x 24 in (61 x 61 cm).
**What is next for you? Any upcoming projects?**
I have a couple of projects that I’m very excited about. I’m already working on some ideas for new paintings that will be showing at Gallery Poulsen in Copenhagen in May of 2021. It will be a three-person exhibition, and I will have the pleasure of showing alongside Danish artist Tine Nedbo and London-based artist Super Future Kid. Many of my new paintings will be inspired by my experience of being pregnant. The new work will build on a few recurring themes like womanhood and fertility that have been a part of my work. I have already had a few stunning pregnant friends pose for me in my studio.
Also, because of Covid, it has not been easy to meet and photograph models. So, I started to look for people on Instagram, and a few lovely ladies volunteered to help me. For me, it was an unusually collaborative effort. We worked together through email and video calls to create the photos, and it ended up working out great! They were super creative and ended up sending me beautiful pictures to work with.
And last but not least, I want to take some time to work on a special project that I promised myself I would do: a children’s book written and illustrated by me. I already have most of it written, so next step would be finding a publisher.
Alonsa Guevara. _Womb Crown_, 2019. Oil on canvas. 60 x 48 in (152.4 x 121.9 cm).
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