I grew up with a single mom and my older brother. They supported me through everything and made sure I never knew when we went without.
Growing up, I admired my brother whole-heartedly and wanted to copy everything he did, especially drawing. He would draw these amazing characters, stories, video games and I wanted to be a part of it. I started drawing as early as I can remember- my own little characters, my own little stories.
As I continued, I realized I wasn't just copying my brother, I had a love for it. It made me express all the big emotions I was feeling as a young child, it was an escape from my day-to-day life. It was a place where everything just turned off and I was free.
Now having continued art into my adulthood, it has turned into something that is irremovable from the very thing that makes me, me.
welcome to my moods, inner thoughts, and most of all, my loves.
click here for my CV (Curriculum Vitae)
Mahal Gutierrez is a painter from Fayetteville, North Carolina, and currently pursuing undergraduate studies. Mahal is deeply fascinated by the emotive power of color and the expressive potential of Expressionism. Influenced by artists before her such as Lucien Freud, Soutine, and Jennifer Packer, Mahal's body of work serves as a way for color to express emotions confrontationally with the viewer. Working primarily in the medium of oil paint, Mahal is interested in the materiality of paint and is exploring how the body of paint can have an expressive quality to it.
As a woman of color navigating the art scene, Mahal's journey is filled with unique perspectives and challenges, which directly informs and enriches their work. Through deliberate color interactions and gestural brushwork, Mahal's work serves as an immersive look into the history of human experience, offering an exploration into identity, culture, and healing.
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
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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!
