PEEL will open the 2012 season with work by Los Angeles based artist Tanya Aguiniga. CRAFTA is an examination of Craft in the post-NAFTA era.
Growing up on the US/Mexico border, living in Tijuana and studying in San Diego, the artist' work is greatly informed by border experiences: the interconnectedness of societies, finding beauty in everyday struggle and the celebration of the unique border culture.
Through her work, Aguiniga calls attention to preconcieved notions of craft found on the US/Mexico border. She uses furniture and objects as a way to translate emotions and tell stories through color and touch. Her work encourages users to reconsider the objects they use on a daily basis by creating pieces that explore an objects’ unseen aspect, such as half chairs that rely on the wall to function and whose image is only complete as its shadow is cast upon the wall.
CRAFTA is an exploration of the artist' cultural identity and calls attention to the importance of craft as art. It serves as a form of cultural exchange and allows the artist to provide monetary support to her hometown through patronage.
The objects and materials used in CRAFTA are purchased at the San Ysidro International Border Crossing and have been re-worked to emphasize artisanal processes or used as raw goods from which to create new narratives in craft.
CRAFTA opens THURSDAY, JANUARY 12th
Tanya Aguiniga will be teaching a 1 day workshop on Saturday January 14th at Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. Get more information by visiting their WEBSITE
Tanya Aguiñiga is a Los Angeles based furniture designer/maker. Her sensitivity to materials and interest in creating furniture that responds to the user's spatial needs have resulted in a playful and organic modernist approach to form. She holds a BA and MFA in Furniture Design, and continues to hand make all of her pieces. Her highly publicized work has been exhibited from Mexico City to Milan and she was recently named a United States Artists Target Fellow in the field of Crafts and Traditional Arts. In the past 12 years she has also carried out various projects throughout Mexico and the US to deepen her commitment to using arts as a vehicle for community empowerment and the spread of craft education.
