Bio

XIMENA VELASCO (1967) – Santiago, Chile.

Universidad Católica, School of Art, degree in painting, 1987-1993.
Universidad de Chile, School of Architecture, 1987.
Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY, 1985-1986.

RECENT SOLO EXHIBITIONS

Impulso Natural, Galería Sextante, Bogotá, Colombia, (2024).
Botánica Fractal, Espacio Alonso, Santiago, (2022) and Centro de Arte Molino Machmar, Puerto Varas, Chile, (2023).
Deshielo, Sala Gasco Arte Contemporáneo, Santiago, Chile, (2021).
La Naturaleza de Las Cosas, Galeria La Sala, Santiago, Chile, (2019).
Morfologías, Espacio O, Santiago, Chile  (2018).
Médula, Galería XS, Santiago, Chile, (2015).
Mutaciones, Sala Gasco Arte Contemporáneo, Santiago, Chile, (2013).
Metamorfosis, Galería Isabel Aninat, Santiago, Chile, (2011).

SOME GROUP EXHIBITIONS

London Art Biennial, London, UK, (2021); Revelations, Grand Palais, Paris, France, (2019); Camden Arts Centre, London, UK, (2015); Chilean Embassy, Washington D.C., U.S.A., (2005).

RESIDENCIES

Millay Arts, Austerlitz, NY, (2022); Residencia Territorio, Guachaca, Magdalena, Colombia, (2022); Vermont Studio Residency, Vermont, USA (2018); Slade School of Arts, London, UK (2015); Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venezia, Italia(2013); School of Visual Arts, New York, USA,(2011).

GRANTS

Fondart (Chilean State Grant) in 1999 and 2011, Vermont Studio Center Merit Grant, 2018,  Millay Arts Grant, 2022.

In the past few years, I have decided to intensify my study of ceramics in parallel form to my graphic work. I am essentially a painter but have been experimenting with clay and have deepened my interest in primal forms related to morphology and nature, and their coincidences with the human body. I have also focused on the process of attaining shapes, lines, and colors that are unadorned.
I use science as a factual beginning and start working with real images found in nature such as botanical structures. I build a personal optical world from there. Since my work is premeditated but also intuitive, the process of working on a series of ceramic pieces has added a minimalistic and interesting dimension to the graphic work. Working with clay is a procedure of trial- and- error, and its results are unexpected, so it connects beauty with imperfection, linking with the concepts of Wabi Sabi.  The process has a meditative quality which has enhanced my capacity to work intuitively, without getting stuck on literal interpretations of certain forms. The pieces seem to linger within the fine line between figuration and abstraction, speaking of rough forms that allude to sea creatures and wetlands.