Keith Widyolar at New York Latin Culture Magazine

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra ‘América sin Fronteras’ Chilean artist

We all knew someone back in school who could draw, and made doodles that amused friends. Sandra Vásquez de la Horra is that person, but has developed her art to a whole new level.

Tunel I, 2017, graphite, sanguine, and wax on folded paper
Tunel I, 2017, graphite, sanguine, and wax on folded paper

The use of short texts in deeply thought out drawings creates a kind of poetry. Being Chilean from the Pinochet years gives De la Horra that survivor’s edge.

Her figures are spooky and beautiful at the same time. The texts and striking figures make the viewer linger.

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra was born in Viña del Mar, Chile in 1967.

She studied at the University for Design in her hometown and at the Kunstakademi (Academy of Art) in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Winning a prize in the Design Biennale at the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Santiago, Chile in 1996 launched her career.

Vásquez de la Horra did postgraduate work at the Kunsthochschule für Medien in Cologne, Germany.

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra América sin Fronteras

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra América sin Fronteras is on view at David Nolan New York, Tuesday – Saturday from March 15 – April 28, 2018.

This exhibition of new and recent work is Vásquez de la Horra’s fourth show at the gallery.

Vásquez de la Horra puts our collective unconscious on paper. You will recognize some of her figures from dreams. She says that she doesn’t necessarily have a message in mind. She just lets her thoughts flow. You can engage with the work and interpret it as you like.

Creativity can be like that. At times the creative act is born fully formed, and can be as much a surprise to the artist as it is to the viewer.

In photos, the work looks like it was done in a sketch book. Actually, many of the images are quite large. The impact of their size is strong, and the images resonate strongly. Vásquez de la Horra makes you stop and think and look closer. This is really delicious work.

Keith Widyolar, February 20, 2018 

Read more at newyorklatinculture.com