Catalina Gris is a Mexican painter living and creating in Guanajuato city.
She studied at the prestigious National School of Arts “La Esmeralda” in Mexico City. She graduated with a body of drawings and paintings focused on abstraction. Catalina received honorable mention in the 5th International University Art Biennial – UAEMEX, and participated in the 33th Young Art Convention in Aguascalientes. She finished her Master’s degree from the University of Guanajuato in 2017, with a body of work entitled “Gris Medio”. In 2018 she participated in the 4th J.A. Monroy Biennial in Guadalajara and her work earned an honorable mention in the 18th Edition of the Tamayo Biennial in Oaxaca. She was awarded with the “Jóvenes Creadores” grant by FONCA generation 2020-2021. She has recently been awarded the “Artistas con trayectoria” grant for painting, generation 2022 by PECDA in the state of Guanajuato.
Catalina Gris works in tecnica mixta. Her images reference the urban landscape, visual perception and even ancient Mexican mythology in a well-modulated abstract substrate. Her color palette ranges between neutrality and intensity. To construct each work she uses fabrics that are not typical in painting – allowing her to explore different textures and paint application from transparency to impasto. She often presents the viewer with found forms in everyday surroundings mixing these with materials and a color palette carefully chosen. She aims to transform these images and materials to abstract pictorial objects that reminiscence her everyday surroundings while hinting at its ecological tragedies.
Studies
2006 – 2010 BFA National School of Painting, Sculpture and Engraving ENPEG “La Esmeralda” Mexico City
2008 – 2009 School exchange at Villa Arson, Nice, France
2015 – 2017 MFA University of Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Mexico
Art Grants
2024 National Art Creators System (Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte) SNCA grant for painting from Sistema de Apoyos a la creación y Proyectos Culturales SACPC Mexico, formerly FONCA
2022 – 2023 Creators with trajectory (Creadores con trayectoria) PECDA grant for painting from Sistema de Apoyos a la creación y Proyectos Culturales SACPC Mexico, formerly FONCA
2020 – 2021 Young Art Creators (Jóvenes Creadores) grant for painting from Sistema de Apoyos a la creación y Proyectos Culturales SACPC Mexico, formerly FONCA
2015 – 2017 CONACYT grant for studying an MFA history research and painting production (Maestría en artes) University of Guanajuato. Mexico
Biennials and Contests
2023– XIII Alfredo Zalce Biennial (XIII Bienal de Pintura y Grabado Alfredo Zalce) Museum of Contemporary Art Alfredo Zalce, Morelia, Mexico
2021– First Virtual Art Biennial (Primera Bienal de Arte Virtual) University UNAM and University of Panama
2020– Balcony Exhibition (Balconadas) at the International Cervantino Festival (FIC) 2nd place, Guanajuato, Mexico
2018– XVIII Painting Biennial Rufino Tamayo, honorable mention, Oaxaca, Mexico
2018– IV Painting Biennial J.A. Monroy, Guadalajara, Mexico
2013– XXXIII Young Art Convention (Encuentro Nacional de Arte Joven) Aguascalientes, Mexico
2012– V International Biennial of University Visual Art (Bienal Internacional de Arte Visual Universitario) honorable mention, Toluca, Mexico
Solo Exhibitions
2023– Con FeSO4 plástico “Plomo Gallery”, Mexico City
2022– Extraño pez de plástico (Strange plastic fish) “Islera”, Mexico City
2021– Paradox to Paradigm (Paradoja a Paradigma) Museum “Museo Casa Diego Rivera” Guanajuato, Mexico
Art Festivals and Fairs
2023– Clandestina, Miami, USA
2023– FAIN, Mexico City
2021– FAIN, Mexico City
2021– Guadalajara, Mexico
2021– Art Movement Clavo (Clavo movimiento) Clavel at Clavo, Mexico City
2020– Bureau of art collectors Trámite (Trámite Buró de Coleccionistas) Querétaro, Mexico
2018/2024 –Art Walk, Galería Manuk, San Miguel de Allende, México
Group Shows
2023 –“En los caminos de Guanajuato, Arte moderno y contemporáneo del Bajío” Museo de Arte e Historia de Guanajuato, León, México
2023– Servicio Consolidado “Galería Dos Topos y Ft Lanza” León, Mexico
2023– Constructoras de Universos “Museo Casa Diego Rivera” Guanajuato, Mexico
2022– Creation in movement (Creación en Movimiento) Museum “Colegio de San Ildefonso” Mexico City
2021– Time/Space/Refuge (Tiempo/Espacio/Refugio) Gallery “Libertad” Querétaro, Mexico
2020– The impermanence of painting, Gallery “Cardinal” San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
2020– Pavement weeds (Hierbas de asfalto) Cultural Movement “Obra Negra” Guanajuato, Mexico
2019– Dreams (Sueños) Gallery “Union” Mexico City
2019– Two Painters: Phe Ruiz/ Catalina Gris, Cultural Center “Foro Cultural 81” Guanajuato, Mexico