Nora Pineda

In her decades-spanning practice and drawing from her Mexican cultural heritage, Nora Pineda’s complex ceramics tie together modern abstraction and ancient mythology in a wholly unique way. Inspired by her Mexican heritage, Pineda’s pieces incorporate characters that symbolize the way of life of Mexicans throughout the ages. She brings them to life with deep, undulating lines and stylized faces that are extremely expressive. Everything, from the amount of lines used to the size of their bodies, carries significance in the story each piece tells. Pineda uses a variety of finishes – matte, textured, glossy – and a palette that can either be turned up or muted depending on the narrative.

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An important feature of Pineda’s pieces is that they are created in the round, with the piece truly operating as a three-dimensional object. These are not straight sculptures, but forms inspired by the traditional use of ceramics: the vessel. Pineda’s shapes come directly from altered forms and manipulation of clay, and many of these forms are even functioning vessels. This is another example of how the artist brings ancient tradition together with new aesthetic ideas.

​Pineda was born in Bakersfield, California and has been extremely activ...

EDUCATION

1979 CSU, Chico, Chico, California. Completed 60 units of graduate study in Psychology/Counseling and Art for Special Populations
1976 CSU, Chico, Chico, California. Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
1974 Feather River College, Quincy, California. Associates of Arts Degree

CURATED EXHIBITIONS


2019 32nd Women's Works, Celebrating Women’s Creativity, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, Illinois
2019 Magnum Opus 30 International Exhibit, Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Sacramento, California
2019 Renew, Rebuild, Reimagine, Chico Art Center, Chico, California
2019 Fusion Art's 3rd Annual Exhibit, Fusion Art Gallery, Palm Springs, California
2018 Autumn Equinox, Agora Gallery, New York, New York
2017 Tripping the Lights Fantastic, Agora Gallery, New York, New York
2017 Sensorial Realities, Agora Gallery, New York, New York
2005 Solomon-Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, California
2002 Bean Scene Coffee Shop & Gallery, Chico, California
2001 Arts Council of Kern County, Bakersfield, California
1998-99 Art in Process, Seguin, Texas
1998 James Snydle Fine Arts Gallery, Chico, California
1998 Riverfront Gallery, Redding, California
1995 Rosselli Gallery, Redding, California
1995 Chico Arts Center, Chico, California
1994-95 Alternative Interiors, Reno, Nevada
1994 Solomon-Dubnick Gallery, Sacramento, California
1992 Desert Rose Gallery, Reno, Nevada
1992 Sunbird Gallery, Los Altos, California
1992 Atrium Gallery,...