OMG, Julia Isídrez continues to garner broader recognition for elaborating the sculptural and expressive capacity of an ancient methodology passed down by her mother, the famed ceramic artist Juana Marta Rodas (1925-2013)!

Expanding an indigenous Guaraní tradition in which mothers have taught ceramic techniques to their daughters for centuries, Isídrez reconfigures the sculptural language and traditional forms of her ancestors, fostering her own creative force in contemporary sculpture.

Isídrez transcends her medium’s traditional forms and functions to create sculptures that brim with life. Using the format of urns and vases as a starting point to engage in formal experimentation and play, Isídrez uniquely portrays animals native to Paraguay, like the anteater or vessels with heads and appendages emerging from exterior surfaces. Isídrez accentuates the defining characteristics of each animalistic being, often creating whimsical animal characters as seen in the current show, “Somewhere in the Middle.” It’s like you’re seeing just the head and tail, and the body is not seen, or as we love to say, it’s as if a bear and his body are Somewhere in the Middle! Come check out our show at The Lobby in the Ellen Browning Building (2871 SE Division St. in Portland) with this title and see Isídrez’s work in person. 

You can see more about Julia Isídrez’s work at https://www.kasmingallery.com/exhibitions/366-julia-isidrez-mundo-de-julia/.