Mariana
Noreña Gutiérrez
Mariana Noreña Gutiérrez explores how humans relate to place through ecology, history, and mythology. Her work is research-driven and site-responsive, investigating the material memory of landscapes and natural phenomena. Working with earth’s natural materials, she reveals intimate and collective stories that speak to the symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. Through sculptural installations, she creates subtle yet immersive experiences that examine how materials bear witness to a place’s layered histories and interconnected collective memory through close observation and physical exploration.
Noreña Gutiérrez holds a dual BA in Design and Fine Arts from La Universidad de Los Andes and an MFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was a recent 2023 Fellow at the Vermont Studio Center and has exhibited her work at Murmuration, UNAM Chicago, Co-Prosperity, SAIC Galleries, The Franklin at the LeRoy Neiman Gallery at Columbia University, among others.