Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, born in 1967 in Viña del Mar, Chile, is a Chilean-German artist renowned for her powerful and evocative works. Growing up under the brutal dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, Vásquez de la Horra's early life experiences deeply influenced her artistic trajectory. She initially studied art in Chile before moving to Germany, where she attended the Düsseldorf Art Academy under Jannis Kounellis and Rosemarie Trockel, and later the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne. Currently, she resides and works in Berlin.

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra's Art Style

Vásquez de la Horra’s art is deeply influenced by her Chilean roots and the oppressive political climate she grew up in. Since 1997, she has developed a distinctive technique of sealing her drawings with beeswax, adding a unique materiality and depth to her pencil lines. This process creates a sense of encapsulation as if preserving the images and their associated memories under a protective layer.

Her drawings frequently feature themes of religion, mythology, and the bizarre, intertwining with the myths and traditions of her Chilean heritage. The wax coating on her works creates a haunting translucence, trapping figures and scenes in a suspended state. Her works explore themes of borderline experiences, femininity, fear, and death, along with poetry, reawakening demons, ghosts, mythical creatures, and dark dreams.

Her highly detailed images reveal desires rooted in both her personal experiences and a broader universal context, exuding ecstasy, trauma, and surrealism. Often creating art while traveling, she uses her drawings as a pictorial diary, frequently carrying them in her luggage.

Exhibition Highlight: Constellations

In "Constellations," Sandra Vásquez de la Horra's second solo exhibition at Sprovieri Gallery in 2022, her works continue to draw on her rich personal and cultural history. The exhibition features intricate drawings finished with her signature wax-dipping technique, emphasizing themes of mythology, religion, and the surreal. Notable works include "Dimensions" and "Estrella de la Mañana," which showcase her ability to blend personal narrative with universal experiences. Her three-dimensional houses invite viewers to explore psychological and emotional depths, presenting inaccessible internal structures that symbolize memory and the subconscious. This exhibition underscores Vásquez de la Horra's profound engagement with themes of fear, death, and the mystical.

Exhibitions and Recognitions of Sandra Vásquez de la Horra

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra has exhibited extensively worldwide. Notable solo exhibitions include "Constellations" at Sprovieri, London (2022), "Museo Novecento" in Florence, Italy (2019), and "Sao Paulo Biennal" (2012). Her works have been featured in prestigious institutions such as the Centre Pompidou, Paris, Musée d’Art Moderne, St-Etienne, and Bonnefantenmuseum, Maastricht.

She has received several accolades, including the Käthe Kollwitz Prize (2023), the Guerlain Prize (2019), and the Hans Theo Richter Prize (2021).