The Black Magic Art of Mariana Monteagudo

 Mariana Monteagudo is a thirty-something artist from Venezuela who has been working her series of doll sculptures over the last decade. Her ceramic and mixed-media dolls are intriguing and fascinating. Her artwork shows her interest in pre-Columbian aesthetics, related to magic and taken as an important graphic expression of Latin American Culture. Her work also shows her attraction to Japanese manga and mass-market toys.
Munecas (Dolls) is the generic term Monteagudo uses to describe her creations since 1998. With them, the artist has received important awards in Venezuela, and her pieces have been featured in group shows at home and abroad. Her unusual characters have attracted the attention of many critics, and they have been linked to Tibetan Buddhism's.

Double Redhead

Buffalo

Vampire

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Images courtesy of the artist