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CHA GUTIÉRREZ
Artist's Statement
As a diasporic Puerto Rican-Mexican American artist, my work explores the intricate relationships between identity, matriarchy, ancestral memory, and the resilience of women. Through bold color, surreal natural elements, and expressive portraiture, I depict women as cultural caretakers, storytellers, and pillars of strength—examining both the burdens they carry and the wisdom they pass down. My paintings intertwine the personal and the collective, often reflecting on my own lineage, upbringing, and the intergenerational experiences of Latina women.
I am particularly drawn to the role of women as preservers of heritage, a theme that manifests in my recurring depictions of mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and ancestral figures. My work often features landscapes that serve as cultural markers—the Sonoran Desert, reflecting my Mexican American heritage and upbringing in the Southwest, and the lush rainforests of Puerto Rico, honoring my maternal lineage. By embedding these natural elements into my work, I explore the interconnection between land, memory, and identity, drawing parallels between human resilience and the ecosystems that sustain us.
Themes of matriarchy, cultural storytelling, and intergenerational strength are central to my practice. Pieces like The Mother Tree and Madre Tierra reimagine motherhood, community, and the unseen networks that bind women together, while works like Trenza Ancestral and She Who Sits on the Internal Throne reflect on generational trauma, personal healing, and the weight of familial expectations—especially those placed on firstborn daughters in Latine households. My art serves as a space to reflect on the complexity of these relationships, acknowledging both the struggles and the love that shape them.
While my primary mediums are oil and acrylic, I have begun incorporating fiber arts into my work as a way of honoring textile traditions historically tied to women’s labor and storytelling. Influenced by the embroidery techniques my great-grandmother once taught me, as well as Mexican and Puerto Rican textile practices, I am exploring how thread, lace, and fabric can serve as both physical and symbolic ties to lineage. This growing integration of fiber arts is an extension of my commitment to preserving ancestral traditions through contemporary painting.
As my work continues to evolve, I seek to highlight the stories of other women and their family matriarchs, expanding my ongoing project, The Matriarch Series, which will incorporate portraiture, oral histories, and shared heirlooms. Through my art, I invite viewers to reflect on their own relationships with the women in their lives—the lessons passed down, the struggles endured, and the strength that persists across generations.
