Mariana Monteagudo
Venezuelan, b. 1976
Award winning Sculptor Mariana Monteagudo is a Florida based artist who has been working her series of doll sculptures over the last decade. Her latex, ceramic and mixed-media figures are unique, intriguing and fascinating. Her artwork shows interest in a wide range of references, from the pre-Columbian aesthetics, to fashion, tv pop culture, Japanese manga and mass-market toys. Muñecas (Dolls) is the generic term Monteagudo uses to describe her creations since 1998. With them, the artist has received awards and exposure, and her pieces have been featured in solo and group shows and fairs in Madrid, Miami, Amsterdam,Chicago, Aruba, Caracas, New York, Sao Paulo, and other venues. Her unusual characters have attracted the attention of critics and her work is part of the MOLAA Museum in California, Everson Museum, NY, Cesar Gaviria Trujillo Collection, among other contemporary art collections.
Mariana MonteagudoWorks & Biography
Are You Brainwashed? Mariana Monteagudo ’s work is grounded in the conviction that we are, indeed, easily manipulated—shaped by the beliefs, images, and perceptions imposed by society. Through her doll sculptures, she reflects on how external forces influence desire, fear, and identity. Beauty standards tell us we should look like Barbie; films teach us to fear dolls as sinister or haunted; in other contexts, dolls become powerful objects used in religious or ceremonial rituals. Each example reveals how meaning is assigned—and how readily we accept it. An award-winning sculptor, Monteagudo has been developing her series of doll sculptures for over a decade. Working in latex, ceramic, and mixed media, she creates figures that are both intriguing and unsettling. Her practice draws from a wide range of references, including pre-Columbian aesthetics, fashion, television pop culture, Japanese manga, and mass-market toys. Muñecas (Dolls) is the term Monteagudo has used since 1998 to define this ongoing body of work. The series has earned international recognition, with exhibitions and art fairs in Madrid, Miami, Chicago, Aruba, Caracas, New York, São Paulo, and beyond. Her work is included in major collections such as the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in California, the Everson Museum of Art in New York, and the César Gaviria Trujillo Collection , among others.
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“Uncanny: The Dolls of Mariana Monteagudo” was declared “Official Winner” of PBS film-maker project 2020. As a result, the film will be streamed nationwide this year, starting in Florida on June 16. The documentary has already won twelve film awards from festivals in the US and Canada since it was first released in 2018. Festivals include: Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Miami Independent Film Festival, Female Eye Film Festival (Canada), among others. Produced by filmmaker Elaine Minionis , the documentary closely follows Mariana through the creation of her series “Uncanny”. Premiere:WPBT – Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30 pmWXEL – Thursday, June 18 at 5:30 pmThe Film-maker Project offers South Florida storytellers a unique opportunity for broadcast distribution. Featured films will reach an audience of over 6.3 million viewers across the nation.
Statement Over two decades ago I made a group of small statuettes with plaster, ceramic, cloth and wax. Anything that I had at hand. These statuettes had an unsettling look. They spoke by themselves with a loud voice. No prejudices, no preconceptions. This burst of spontaneity produced the dolls I’ve come to be known for. They were born unscripted. And that’s how they look. Ever since I made the first one, I have continued feeling the urge to produce more. The creative process has remained basically the same since day one. It is natural and intuitive. I go out on a scavenger hunt to find materials and inspiration; whether it is the hardware store, a thrift shop, or simply strolling around my neighborhood on trash day. As spontaneous as the statuettes came, they are also the result of my life-long held belief that there is no ignoble material. Everything can be reused. With love, perseverance, and creativity and there’s always a place for a second chance. The dolls -how I like to refer to them- are now part of me. I plan to go on making them as long as I feel an urge to challenge myself, explore new materials, and find new combinations.
Selected Collections MOLAA Museum of Latin American Art. California, U.S.A. EVERSON MUSEUM. New York, U.S.A. Robert Loder, Chairman of the Triangle Arts Trust. London, England. Pedro Muñoz Marín. Puerto Rico, U.S.A. César Gaviria Trujillo. Bogota Colombia. Magaly Cannizzaro de Capriles. Caracas, Venezuela. Banco Mercanti. Caracas, Venezuela. Luís Gutiérrez. Puerto Rico, U.S.A. Solo Exhibitions 2012 HUMANOID - Galería El Museo. Bogota, Colombia. 2010 NARCISSUS MIRROR - Solo show, Galería el Museo. Bogota, Colombia. 2008 ARTEAMERICAS ART FAIR. Miami, U.S.A. 2008 CIRCA ART FAIR 08. Puerto Rico, U.S.A. 2007 CIRCA ART FAIR 07. Puerto Rico, U.S.A. 2007 ARTEAMERICAS ART FAIR. Miami, U.S.A. 2006 SELF PORTRAITS - Galería el Museo. Bogota, Colombia. 2005 RECENT WORK - Access Art Gallery. Oranjestad, Aruba. 2004 POP - Dubhe Carreño Gallery. Chicago, U.S.A. 2004 SOLO SHOW - Galería Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. 2002 SOLO SHOW - Galería el Museo. Bogotá, Colombia. 2002 ICONS IDOLS - Sala Mendoza. Caracas, Venezuela. 2001 CREATURES - Galería Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. Group Exhibitions 2020 CORAL GABLES MUSEUM - "For Now". Miami, U.S.A. 2018 ART MIAMI Pan American Gallery. Miami, U.S.A. 2017 ANIMAL VERSION (group show). Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. 2016 PINTA ART FAIR. Miami, U.S.A. 2016 RE: PRODUCE Bailey Center of Contemporary arts, BACA. Florida, U.S.A. 2016 OTRA DIMENSION (group show). Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. 2015 SECOND CHANCES, MAC fine art. Fort Lauderdale, U.S.A. 2014 TEQUILA HERRADURA ART BARREL (group show), 1st prize winner. Miami U.S.A. 2014 STARSKY BRINES/MARIANA MONTEAGUDO, Galeria El Museo. Bogota, Colombia. 2013 LOCAL CRIT GROUP SHOW/ M. Margulies Artist Agency. Ft Lauderdale, U.S.A. 2013 NUEVAS FUNDACIONES GROUP SHOW. Miami, U.S.A. 2012 SAO PAULO ART FAIR. Sao Paulo, Brazil. 2011 MEMORIA, Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. 2010 Polimorfos Perversos, Galeria Fernando Pardilla. Madrid, Spain. 2010 Ellas Crean, Galeria Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain. 2009 ARTBO, ART FAIR. Bogota, Colombia. 2008 SCOPE ART FAIR. Hamptons. New York, U.S.A. 2008 ART Rotterdam 08 Witzenhausen Gallery. AMS, Netherlands 2005 ARCO ART FAIR. Gallery Fernando Pradilla. Madrid, Spain 2004 TBA ART CHICAGO. Chicago, U.S.A. 2004 ARCO ART FAIR. Madrid Spain. 2003 8TH HAVANNA BIENALE 2003. La Habana, Cuba 2003 TBA ART CHICAGO. Chicago, U.S.A. 2003 FERIA ARCO. Madrid, Spain.
Artist statement
There is no ignoble material. I advocate for creative reuse and examine how external forces shape desire, fear, and identity through figurative sculpture.
