Catalina Viejo Lopez de Roda Weaves Transformation And Connection Into Art

PHOTO: Catalina Viejo Lopez de Roda, an acclaimed artist known for her transcendent works, pictured in her Hudson, NY studio.

Exploring Themes Of Nature, Identity, And Resilience

Catalina discusses her artistic journey, exploring themes of shapeshifting, self-reflection, and nature, revealing how her work fosters connection and personal growth.

Catalina Viejo Lopez de Roda stands as a luminous figure in the contemporary art world, an artist whose work transcends geographical and emotional boundaries. Born in the vibrant city of Malaga and nurtured amidst the calming landscapes of the Canary Islands, Catalina has gracefully merged these contrasting environments into a rich tapestry of artistic expression. Now residing in Hudson, NY, Catalina’s art embodies a fusion of cultures, influences, and personal experiences that are both profound and universal.

Catalina’s creations span an impressive variety of media, including painting, drawing, collage, and sculpture, yet they are united by themes of connection, shapeshifting, and transcendence. Her work invites viewers into a transformative journey where art becomes a medium for self-reflection and deeper understanding. Catalina’s innovative use of her own body as a reference in her work highlights her intimate approach to art-making, one that is deeply personal yet resonates on a broader scale. Through thoughtful exploration, her pieces reveal themselves as conduits for emotional and conceptual exploration.

Her exhibitions, reaching from New York to the UK, and her numerous accolades, including a grant from the Puffin Foundation and recognition from the Women United Art Movement, have solidified her status as a formidable presence in the art community. Publications like The Boston Globe and Vanity Fair Italia, among others, have celebrated her vision, disseminating her thought-provoking works to audiences worldwide.

Catalina’s art is more than a visual feast—it’s a call to embrace change, to find stability in uncertainty, and to celebrate the wild, untamed spirit within. Through her interview with WOWwART, readers will have the unique opportunity to delve into the inspirations and processes behind her captivating works. Prepare to be enchanted by Catalina’s extraordinary journey as both an artist and a storyteller, as we uncover the layers of her artistic universe and the timeless beauty it imparts.

How has your background in the Canary Islands influenced your artistic themes, particularly in relation to self-care?

The pace in Lanzarote is slower, people check in with themselves more often. The weather lends itself to going outside, connecting with nature, and being active. In New York, for example, it seems that if you’re not being productive at all times, it can feel like you’re falling behind. I don’t feel that in Lanzarote, and the irony is that when I come back to visit the island, I feel my most productive because there is a healthy balance between work and play, and play is so important towards art making.

“The pace in Lanzarote is slower, people check in with themselves more often.” – Catalina Viejo Lopez de Roda,

Can you explain the significance of using your own body as a reference in your work?

In the past few years, I have used my face or body as a reference in my paintings. These depictions are not so much autobiographical as they are a means to depict a concept and image with a specific pose or expression. Creating my paintings can go through a long process of sketching, photographing, collaging, and photoshopping. My body is available to create these images. I can re-work and alter poses if I’m not initially satisfied. When I look at my finished works, I am aware of my body in an image, but to me, the figure in the work has transformed and embraced a new identity. The figure’s transformation within my drawings and paintings fits very well with the concepts of transformation, change, and shapeshifting in my overall work.

You mentioned a shift from depicting groups of women to focusing on a single figure. What inspired this change, and how does it reflect your personal experiences during the pandemic?

As the pandemic began, the groups of women I depicted in my series “Seven Lights” began to dwindle until only a single figure remained. The interiors they had been placed in disappeared and expansive landscapes began to emerge instead. The series “Self Care” was a reflection of the uncertainty of the pandemic. The woman in these works was often placed in environments that although lush and beautiful at first glance, also had the potential of being dangerous. The woman never appeared fearful, but rather, embraced her environment. Her body began to mimic the landscape around her. Her arms would open up like flowers, her legs would reflect a river bend, her bottom would echo the mountains in the distance. The work became a way to remind myself to surrender, find acceptance in my lack of control, and grow through that uncertainty.

How do you navigate the balance between the conceptual and the emotional aspects of your artwork while creating?

When I began my recent series of “Light Beings”, I created portraits initially from imagination. I was then inspired by faces that I found interesting; Greek, Roman, and Egyptian busts. Later, I began to ink and print my face directly on the page. I am a believer in trusting gut feelings, intuition and surrendering to what “feels” right even though in the moment I might not understand or be able to articulate why something seems so important. In this series, I allowed myself to play with mediums and experiment with mark-making while thinking of shapeshifting, transformation, and light. Hundreds of drawings later, I can see developing patterns in the work which help me polish up the concepts further. It is a constant see-sawing between feeling and idea which build on one another to create a solid body of work.

In your view, what role does the environment play in shaping the narratives of your pieces, especially concerning the “wild woman archetype”?

The series Self Care includes drawings, sculptural paintings, and several dioramas. The dioramas depict trees, shrubs, flowers, and various female figures. Viewers can select, re-arrange, and modify these diorama landscapes, encouraging a dialogue about our relationship with nature. The organic qualities, the unpredictability, and the spontaneity in my dioramas reflect my personal experiences with nature. The female figures in the dioramas embody the wild woman archetype. Through their environment, these women show us the value of being human and remind us what we can learn from nature; its resilience, adaptability, and ultimately, its celebration of life.

What do you hope viewers take away from your work, particularly in the context of self-reflection and the importance of self-care during challenging times?

My work allows me to process and gather a better understanding of the world around me. That includes my relationships, my environment, and the spiritual realm outside and within myself. It inspires resilience and strength as well as vulnerability and surrender. There is tremendous beauty and humanity in this balance. I hope viewers can apply their own experience to my work and take with them the feeling of connection to themselves and others, a sense to accept change, embrace transformation, and use these for personal growth and expansion.