Blanca Guerrero

We spent a morning with artist Blanca Guerrero in Gowanus, Brooklyn, where she has her studio, and she explains how everything changes very quickly.

She shows us her work, among which are the cement cubes she made several years ago, and which are now what she has begun to capture on canvas. Blanca's work exudes a wonderful Japanese influence, as does the studio she shares with her father, where we find details that look like small still lifes prepared to create a set. Discover her work and the whole universe she creates with her sensitivity on her website and Instagram.

NT - What is your creative process like? And what do you enjoy most about your creative process?

BG - My creative process is a combination of drawing, writing, taking photos, creating objects, creating vignettes, thinking, talking walks.... In the last few years I've been working with a pile of paper from the first time I travelled to Japan 7 years ago. It's a beautiful washi that I made with kozo and mitsumata fibres using the traditional Japanese way of paper making. It is very strong; the fibres are long but delicate. I paint several layers of colour on these sheets and then use them to make collages. This process has inspired me to paint in a new way, taking my time to pay attention to the small moments that happen due to the changing opacity of the fibres. I also paint directly on wood panels; I don't always use handmade paper. I like to use a lot of water to clean the paint and to discover a space, to sculpt it from memory. I don't plan my pieces, I let my intuition take over. What I like most about my creative process are the moments when I am absolutely immersed and concentrated in my studio. For some reason, I have the feeling that they are exceptional, whether I am mixing colours, taking notes, painting a new piece or cleaning the brushes... Sometimes the light is ideal and the song is perfect. In these moments I feel calm and at peace doing what I love the most.

NT - What inspires you?

BG - The bodies of water, the work areas in the early stages, the moon, the Japanese philosophy of impermanence, nostalgia and the importance of memories, rocks and stones, piles of sand, my family members and their individual forms of artistic expression, the diffuse elements of nature such as fog and mist, architectural graphics and drawings, sunlight filtering through the leaves of trees, worn textiles, subtle colours and tones....

NT - What are you currently working on?

BG - Right now I'm working on developing larger scale work. Larger pieces. I never thought I would go down that path, but this year I had the opportunity to work on a large commission with Picture Room, which led me to look at my capabilities as an artist in a different way. It made me realise that I can paint great pictures if I work hard. It's a challenge, but I'm learning a lot. A beautiful, delicate piece of paper gets lost in a great work, so I'm learning to translate these moments.

NT - Where do you want to take your career and what do you have in mind?

BG - I would love to be able to travel more to different artist residencies around the world to meet people, learn new techniques that I can apply to my work, be inspired by places and things I see, collaborate with other artists, etc.

NT - Which person/artist/space would you particularly like to work with?

BG - Someday I would like to be an artist-in-residence at the Casa Wabi Foundation in Mexico. It would be a dream come true; their philosophy of collaboration and social engagement through art is beautiful and inspiring.

NT - Can you recommend a book?

BG - Of Love, by Alain de Botton. My boyfriend showed it to me. He loves everything de Botton writes. I read it in one sitting over several flights, in about 27 hours.

NT - A restaurant?

BG - Hibino in Brooklyn. A Japanese friend recommended this restaurant to me many years ago. It's a hidden gem and their homemade tofu is perfect.

NT - A film?

BG - Under the Weight of the Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch. My father showed me this film when I was young, so I have many scenes etched in my memory forever.

NT - A place?

BG - Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. I went back last summer and the landscape is incredibly fascinating. The constant wind also caresses your senses as if you were in a dream.

NT - When would you wear the clothes you are wearing in the photos?

BG - At the opening of my next show. Or in autumn, walking around New York.