Mahal Gutierrez, born in Fayetteville NC, is a figurative oil painter whose work explores themes of childhood, grief, and stoicism, often through large-scale compositions. Completing her Bachelor's in Studio Art at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, she uses expressive brushwork and saturated colors to confront the viewer with her subject. Her notable exhibitions, including I Bet on Losing Dogs and Last Call, reflect on vulnerability, loss, and parental relationships. Gutierrez has exhibited her paintings in galleries such as Fried Fruit Gallery and the CAB Gallery. She has also been featured in Atlantis Magazine and received multiple awards, including the Anne Sherman Skiba Undergraduate Research Scholarship.
welcome to my moods, inner thoughts, and most of all, my loves.
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(Curriculum Vitae)
I am a figure painter working in themes of neglect, disappointment and stoicism experienced during childhood. I paint the often-overlooked, unsettling moments that appear normal at first glance but are pierced by elements like a figurative gaze breaking the fourth wall or a visceral red color palette.
Writing is a big part of my creative process, and I often pull content from my personal journals as the starting point for a new painting. This introspective approach helps me delve into my subconscious and reflect on my intentions. Thumbnail sketches become scientific diagrams and serve as blueprints for my paintings. This process separates me from an experience I can view as an onlooker, rather than getting wrapped up in emotions. I can instead focus on line, color, and rhythm. Scale lifts these mundane moments to the importance of historical paintings. This scale creates a level of intimacy and demands attention from the viewer.
Each painting is a narrative from a single parent household, groveling to be noticed by a parental figure, and the complex and often harsh realities. My work aims to confront viewers with these uncomfortable truths, offering a space for reflection on the tension between perceived normalcy and underlying discomfort.
Mahal poses with All seeing eye, accepted into the 2022 State of the Art, Art of the State at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC
Overview of the series I bet on losing dogs, 2024-2025
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I am primarily an oil painter. My interest is in color and I draw inspiration from movements like Expressionism. My style of work is loose and oftentimes challenges traditional rules regarding perspective. However, I enjoy many other mediums besides oil paint, like pastels, acrylics, charcoal, alcohol markers, and even digital mediums.
If my work is in the style you’re looking for, please reach out using the inquiry form below!
