Blanca Guerra Echeverria ( She/Her/Hers )

The female form and my own biological phenomenon inform my practice. The concepts of family reproduction are part of my genetic blueprint. For some women, uncontrollable circumstances can impact these cultural expectations. The wonders, but challenging facets within my own body has led me to ponder fecundity through abstract sculptures. While doing so, the work represents different stages of ovarian follicles and the human embryo. This series offers a physical form to overwhelming emotions. As I conceal intimate moments or reveal joyous hopes, my work attempts to act as a vessel for veiled and exposed emotions. Through the use of scale, my sculptures embrace a physical transformation and depict a deeper correlation with my own body and these sentiments. I use abstraction to find visual simplicities that are romantic, stimulating and beautiful. Like an effortless reflection of light off a metallic surface. My art uses this aesthetic language to contemplate hope, fear and longing. While I ponder the miracle of life, I can’t help but wonder about the physical connections between my own children. This research has led me to think about our fingertips. As the tiny developing fingers grow, they start to feel their way around the mother’s womb. The pressures on a baby’s fingers construct the ever-lasting impressions that become our fingerprints. These notions of our journey within the womb informs my new series of functional forms.

Blanca Echeverria is an artist and educator. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Studio Arts from the University of Colorado Boulder. She has taught art courses at multiple institutions, including Adams State University, Regis University, the University of Hartford and Wayne State University. Her experience in higher education extends into the areas of advising and admissions counseling. Presently, she is the Pre-College Programs Coordinator at the Stamps School of Art and Design at the University of Michigan.

Blanca’s cross-disciplinary practice incorporates a diverse array of media, including ceramics, sculpture, drawing and digital art. Her research focuses on concepts originating from identity and struggles with fecundity. Her work has been exhibited at a broad range of conferences, galleries and museums. A selected list of exhibition sites include the CU Art Museum, The Clay Studio, Baltimore Clayworks, the Dairy Arts Center, Reese Gallery, Goodwin Fine Art, the Electronic Literature Organization and NCECA.