Fernanda Laguna

Fernanda Laguna stands as a pivotal figure in Argentina's artistic landscape, wielding significant influence. With a distinctive visual style, she crafts artwork that bears the unmistakable imprint of feminist perspectives. Beyond her role as an artist, Laguna's talents extend to writing, curation, activism, and cultural agitation. 

Biography of Fernanda Laguna

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1972, Fernanda Laguna established herself as a notable figure in the art world through her diverse and thought-provoking work.

In the mid-1990s, Laguna's solo exhibitions began drawing attention for their eclectic mix of vintage children's illustrations, portraits of pop icons reimagined as intimate companions, surreal landscapes, and text-based drawings conveying affirmations of positivity.

One of her most significant contributions to the art scene was the founding of Belleza y Felicidad (Beauty and Happiness), an artist-run gallery that quickly gained legendary status in Buenos Aires. Originally a platform for emerging artists and literature, the gallery later transitioned into an innovative educational initiative based in a shantytown on the city's outskirts, providing opportunities for disadvantaged children and teenagers to engage with art.

In 2011-2012, Laguna further expanded her creative reach with TuRito, a space designed to host performances, readings, and actions, open 24 hours a day without doors, fostering a continuous flow of artistic expression.

Laguna's impact extends beyond her gallery projects. Her work has found a permanent place in esteemed public collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, the Museo Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Patricia Phelps de Cisneros Collection, the Pérez Museum in Miami, the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires, and the Museum of Modern Art of Buenos Aires.

Fernanda Laguna's Art Style

In the early 2000s, Fernanda Laguna embarked on a creative journey characterized by immediacy and a sense of precariousness. Using inexpensive, everyday materials, she captured her subjective states and the ebb and flow of her relationships with raw emotionality and a distinctly female perspective. As her artistic journey progressed, she honed a painting style primarily abstract yet marked by specific characteristics: biomorphic, black, abstract shapes resembling human forms, meticulously carved shapes adorning canvases, and frames woven from wicker. These elements imbue her works with a surreal, tongue-in-cheek atmosphere reminiscent of Argentinean metaphysical painting traditions.

Laguna's artistry extends beyond conventional mediums, often incorporating discarded materials into her creations. Her pieces exude a deliberately naïve, feminine, and culturally resonant aesthetic, featuring motifs such as flowers, black cats, and her iconic furry heart avatar. Canvases adorned with pockets, windows, and concealed messages add layers of intrigue to her visual storytelling. Through this rich symbolism, Laguna constructs a visual lexicon that speaks to universal emotions and experiences—sadness, love, longing, and friendship—forging intimate connections with viewers.