Mural Love Submission – local Chicana artist – Clara de la Torre

My subject matter is the intricate interconnection of all things. In a distinct style I call webbing, I link symbols and shapes together into something larger, a structure akin to a mandala. Like with traditional mandalas, each object within my webbed pieces carries significance, designed to bring the viewer back to a guiding principle, or center point. The webbing reminds the viewer that the densest forms of matter are, in fact, made up of vibration. And, they are part of a larger matrix.

My current series centers on El Corazon, the heart. This is meant to be both symbolic and literal—the heart as compassion, concern, cariño, and the heart as the organ that pumps lifeblood. How the distinct pieces weave outward from the heart, and back in again, create layers of meaning.

With the completion of a mural for the Seasonal Palate in Albuquerque’s North Valley neighborhood (2017) I became a third-generation muralist. My father, Anthony de la Torre, painted murals in offices and private homes. My grandfather, Manuel de la Torre, was one of the first Chicano muralists in the city of Los Angeles. The Getty Foundation and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA,) gave him recognition for the murals he painted from 1939-1941.

My mediums have included acrylic on canvas, acrylic on drywall or stucco, pen on paper, and mixed media painting that blends acrylic with tile, metal, or leather. In each, the Incan word texemuyo, meaning all-pervading web, comes to life.

I live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and am a student of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) MFA Program.