"Lonely Roadside Shrine" (Animita sola) Painting

Born in Chile (1980), Mara Santibáñez is a visual artist and academic with a distinguished career in both fields. Since 2018, she has focused on contemporary landscape painting, redefining the concept of landscape as a construct influenced by social, cultural, and political dimensions. Through her works, she delves into the intricate web of power relations inherent in these spaces Her paintings defy traditional notions of landscape, portraying scenes that are frequently perceived as soulless, dismembered, or overlooked. Through her artistic practice, she illuminates locations that have been devastated or rendered insignificant, transforming them into vibrant landscapes that enrich the local imaginary.