On April 3, MFA students had the opportunity to meet with visiting artist Carolina Borja. Borja works at the intersection of art, craft and public art, and says that her recent work “speaks of identity, fragmentation and the way it can lead to unity.” Borja incorporates elements of traditional crafts and popular arts into her work, merging papier-mâché, tissue paper, crepe paper, thread, and cartoneria into a more contemporary art esthetic. She studied industrial design with a minor in Mexican Folk Art at Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and a Summer Intensive Studio Art Program at St. Catherine University. She has exhibited in numerous group shows and will be part of the upcoming biennial, Arte/Sano + Artistas at Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City.

Borja currently has work on display at SooVAC in an exhibition titled Unflinching facades: New Work by Carolina Borja and Jesse Matthew Petersen. The exhibition “explores the intersections of Carolina Borja and Jesse Matthew Petersen’s art. Both artists use layering and obfuscation in their process to convey larger concepts of manipulation and control. Collage, and multiple layers of alterations lend to a narrative of power structures and hidden agendas in both bodies of work.” Borja has focused her art in the exhibition “on traditional Mexican printing techniques, and collage with layers of oil and acrylic interventions on top. Borja is interested in exploring what lies beneath cultural traditions, particularly Mexican traditions tied to Catholicism.”

Borja visited with MFA students Michaela Chorn ’17, Mike Moen ’18, and Zoe Cinel ’18 to share insights and engage in conversation about their work. Thank you, Carolina!

Borja’s exhibition, Unflinching facades, will be on display until May 20. If you’re in the area, head over to SooVAC to see her wonderful work!

---

For more information:

Carolina Borjas
Unflinching facades
SooVAC
Michaela Chorn
Zoe Cinel
Mike Moen