Mara Faúndez.
Mara Faúndez is a visual artist with a degree in Visual Arts from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in Santiago.
Raised in the rural town of Paine, on the southern outskirts of Greater Santiago, Mara grew up surrounded by the colours and shapes of Central Chile's natural landscape, which have remained an inspiration for her work.
Her main interest lies in creating a narrative from the anecdotal, using elements such as female figures who appear to be different versions of herself. For Mara, the moment of painting is also a moment of personal confrontation. The presence of everyday objects and diegetic text acts as a second image.
Through her painting, Mara explores themes of the intimate imaginary, including love and heartbreak, the ephemeral passion of an infatuation, anxieties, and questions regarding identity and sexuality. These topics are a window into her intimacy, though expressed through a fantasy: the artist creates situations driven by a feeling placed into familiar places – those surrounding her or from her history. The saturation of colour and its interaction are also part of her pictorial interests.
Her debut solo exhibition, Ayer y Hoy (Isabel Croxatto Galería, 2023), marked the beginning of her international recognition. Since then, she has presented three additional solo exhibitions — including one in Miami — and has participated in international art fairs. Her work is held in institutional and private collections in Chile, the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany, Turkey, and Australia.
Mara Faúndez lives and works in Santiago.
