Juana Gómez

b, 1980, Santiago, Chile

Juana Gómez’s work is based in reproductive techniques, with printing and photography at the axes of her investigation. Through her work, Gómez speaks of a “fundamental law” widespread in various systems, for example, in the veins of leaves, circuits of the central nervous system, and even routes of traffic on the internet. Through her delicate fusion of photography and needlework, Gómez provides a glimpse into omnipresent patterns that influence “aspects as common as our movements through the city and others as personal as the symbols of our dreams.” (Curatorial text for the exhibition by Carolina Castro)

Gómez’s work has crossed multiple forms; from tattoo art to design, Gómez is consistent in using the body as a primary subject. In 2007, after a brief hiatus from her practice, the artist emerged with a series called Las Siete Almas de Los Egipcios (The Seven Souls of the Egyptians). This is where the series Constructal, Symbiosis and Distaff originated, consisting of a series of embroidered photographic canvases scientific in form and ritualistic in creation. Weaving complex physiological and mythological patterns onto images of both her own and her daughters’ bodies, her work is invested in emphasizing the interwoven nature of humankind’s place in the universe. Rather than seeing us as individuals, apart from one another and the surrounding world, Gómez positions us as part of an ancient chain that links back to the origin of life; a combination of patterns, molecules, and small organisms.
More recently, the Chilean artist has begun to experiment with stop-motion animation, video projection, and video installations which have led her to participate in various diverse collectives and festivals in Chile, Argentina, and Spain. Juana Gómez currently lives and works in Santiago, Chile, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from Universidad Católica de Chile. Since then, her work has been exhibited to great acclaim in Chile (Ch.Aco 2015 and 2016, Constructal 2016 and Tripartita 2017), Perú, Turkey, Hong Kong, and Paris where her work has now joined well known private collections.

Juana Gómez is represented by Isabel Croxatto Galeria. Puerta Roja honored to present the work of Juana Gómez in the 2018 collaborative exhibition Reflections.