10 Questions with Amelia Gutierrez

Amelia Gutierrez was born and raised in the Argentinian Patagonia, and her first painting teacher was her father, who, although he painted as a hobby, encouraged her to make painting part of her life.

In Buenos Aires, she trained in the workshops of Bernardo Kehoe, Luis Felipe Noé, and Julio Lavallén. During that stage, she focused on the study of live models and portraits. At the same time, she trained as a designer and illustrator at the University of Buenos Aires and worked for various clients, especially related to music, from electronics to international jazz. After several years working as a graphic designer and commercial illustrator, only in 2020 she decided to pursue an artistic career seriously, following David Hockney’s advice to turn to nature in that time of hardship.

She participated in a collective show for the first time in 2023 at NAT Bio Art Gallery in Buenos Aires. In 2024, that same gallery showed her work in La Morra, a touristic town in Piemonte, Italy. In January 2025, she participated in the Master Art Fair in Punta del Este, Uruguay.

Her recent work includes landscapes from the Cordillera de los Andes and the Upper Valley of Rio Negro and Neuquén in Argentina. It is her look at the places that Patagonians know well and love so much.

ameliagutierrez.com | @amegutierrezdesign

ARTIST STATEMENT

For Amelia, painting is a path of self-discovery and a celebration of the nature that surrounds us. In her paintings, she seeks to convey the feeling of harmony and well-being experienced in natural environments. She creates paintings that remind us of nature’s freedom, authenticity, and beauty in her search for value that transcends time and space. Amelia depicts Patagonian plants, animals, lakes, mountains, and skies in a style that privileges spontaneity. She believes that nature is a wondrous gift, and the craft of painting it is almost sacred.

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and how did you first become interested in art? 

I was raised in the south of Argentina, and my first painting teacher was my father, who, although he painted as a hobby, encouraged me to make painting part of my life.
When I went to university in Buenos Aires, I continued painting, and I trained in the workshops of Bernardo Kehoe, Luis Felipe Noé, and Julio Lavallén. 
After years of working as a graphic designer and commercial illustrator, only in 2020, I decided to pursue an artistic career seriously, following David Hockney's advice to turn to nature for solace in that time of hardship. My recent work includes landscapes from the Cordillera de los Andes and the Upper Valley of Rio Negro and Neuquén, in Argentina. It is my look at the places that Patagonians know well and love so much.

How did growing up in Patagonia influence your artistic journey?

Growing up in Patagonia, I was exposed to raw nature daily. The vast Patagonian desert, called "estepa," is within walking distance from any point in my little town of Villa Regina.
It is a vast extension of dry land with dry, low vegetation. The color palette there is made of variations of grey. Growing up there helped me develop a good eye for color: I learned to discern any subtle tendency to blue, green, or red in the bushes and dirt. 
With my family, we often went camping by the sea on the Atlantic coast or by the lakes in the Cordillera de los Andes. That exposed me to the grandness and mightiness of our land. I grew a deep sense of belonging, and I learned to love Patagonian landscapes from East to West.

Your father was your first painting teacher. What is the most valuable lesson he taught you?

Be bold. I'm still learning this lesson. He emphasized the need for the artist to learn to draw well, as no good painting technique or nice color makes up for a lack of knowledge of the basics. But then, one should be fearless and decisive, so the painting has character. 

You studied with renowned artists in Buenos Aires. How did that experience shape your style?

Studying under painters I admired helped me gain confidence and a sense of how my future practice could be. There's nothing for the art student like getting to know real artists in their studios and working under their guidance. 
My teacher, Bernardo Kehoe, taught me how important it is for the artist to find a balance between mind, body, and spirit. He had a Buddhist altar where we students could go when needed, and he also had a rope hanging from a hook on the ceiling, for us to grab and swirl around, letting our body relax and let go of tensions. He offered a wealth of knowledge of materials and techniques, and some "dirty" tips and tricks. 
Yuyo Noe is a living legend and a great art theorist. He helped me better understand the importance of the body of work. It is not only the single piece that matters, but how this piece works in the context of the body of work of the artist, and this body of work in the history of art.
Julio Lavallén taught me to loosen up. He made us draw extremely quickly with a live model that was practically dancing. Then, he made us examine those hurried drawings in search of gestures that we could consciously incorporate into our practice. 

What made you decide to focus on painting full-time in 2020?

Societies around the world suffered enormous changes. It was for me a time to reflect and rethink my way of living. I felt art and nature were a safe refuge where I could be free and happy, no matter what. As David Hockney said, "They can't cancel spring".

Nature plays a big role in your work. What draws you to paint landscapes and natural elements?

I feel natural elements represent what I care about: freedom, peace, harmony, and closeness to spirituality. I feel nature both grounds us and elevates us. it puts things in perspective. You can't care too much about unimportant things when you spend time in nature. Even a twenty-minute walk among trees frees your mind and allows you to think clearly and be more optimistic. 

Your paintings aim to capture harmony and well-being. How do you translate those feelings onto the canvas? 

Capturing some of it in a two-dimensional canvas, using only paint instead of the myriad resources that nature has, is a constant challenge. In my compositions, I combine values, forms, rhythms, textures, colors, and symbolic meaning, in a way that I feel is just "right'. I need to remind myself to focus on conveying mood and emotion and not to compete with the camera, which is far better at accuracy. I've been using a limited color palette to create a sense of unity, coherence, and balance in my paintings. I use the same palette for an entire collection. This creates cohesiveness within a group of paintings when hung together. 

And how would you describe your artistic style in a few words?

Contemporary landscape painting? I deliberately try not to care about being "contemporary", as opposed to "traditional". I only hope I can make good paintings. 

What was it like to exhibit your work internationally, from Argentina to Italy and Uruguay?

It allowed me to show the beauty of my land and wildlife to others. Showing paintings of guanaco, condor, and araucaria trees to people who never saw one of them in real life was very gratifying. People really love them when they see them. I am aware of the relevance of this from an environmental point of view. As they say, you only care for what you love, and you can't love what you don't know. I'm happy to help Patagonian land and wildlife be known and loved.

Lastly, what are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future?

I'm studying the work of some great Canadian artists, like Tom Thompson and Robert Genn. I've always wanted to paint only like Van Gogh, but now I'm broadening my personal "Pantheon" to include many American and Canadian painters. I'd like to incorporate some of their techniques in my landscapes. I plan to make a series of guanacos, some wildflowers, some panoramic paintings of mountains and lakes. I feel the need to depict the vast and the mighty and then the small and the fragile. This contrast is what makes nature beautiful and always interesting. 

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.