Celea Guevara: Carving Through Identity and Self-Awareness

• Saturday, Dec 9, 2023  2pm - 3:30pm Artist Talk
• Thursday, Dec 7, 2023  6pm - 8pm Opening Reception
• Sat, Dec 2, 2023 - Sat, Jan 13, 2024  9am - 5pm On view

Sawyer Yards is proud to announce Carving Through Identity and Self-Awareness, a solo exhibition of linocut relief prints by Honduran-born, Houston artist Celea Guevara at the East Corridor Gallery in Sabine Street Studios.  

At the heart of Celea Guevara's work is an ongoing self-examination, and exploration of her culture, identity and spirituality. Her artwork shows a conscious documentation of the human condition, delving into the processes that transform us. The creative process, in this case that of the engraving technique, is crucial for Guevara, allowing her to experiment tangibly but also taking her to personal depths that challenge her. Achieving in this world full of adversity is difficult, but despite everything she finds in her line-work the tools to keep going.

This collection of linocut prints started in 2017 when Guevara began working towards her MFA degree at Houston Baptist University. This body of work gathers elements from her own Garifuna culture and spiritual perspective. Guevara is from Honduras and immigrated to the United States, where she began questioning her identity, reflecting on who she is, where is she at, where she is going and who walks with her in her journey. Her artwork speaks strongly to the themes of identity, culture, folklore. The iconographic elements included, such as nature, drums, plantains, fish, coconuts, the head wrap, etc, are highly significant in the Garifuna culture. These elements are combined consistently with the female figure. Guevara firmly believes in the significant role that women play in the development of humanity with all their resilience, and their capability to endure and overcome challenges.

About the Artist:

Celea Guevara is a talented artist- born and raised in Honduras.  She emigrated from her native country in 2006, after which her dedication and love for the arts became a priority. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Houston, 2017 and her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts from Houston Baptist University in 2019. Her work is inspired by the human condition and the continued whisperings of her Garifuna heritage, the essence of which she strives to capture through life size drawings, paintings and printmaking. Most recently, in 2022, Guevara's work was included in the New York Latin American Art Triennial exhibition, "ABYA YALA". 

*** 

This exhibition is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.