Alejandra Gotera

(b.1994 | Maracaibo, Venezuela)

Based in Miami, FL

Since leaving Venezuela, I have turned to abstraction as a way to understand my inner world. My work explores the idea that we are not our thoughts but the awareness behind them. Through painting and drawing, I study how thoughts arise, multiply, dissolve, and return. Over time this has expanded into a deeper exploration of core energy, the invisible yet constant presence that moves through us and connects us to something greater. I am interested in how this energy shifts through the mind and body and how it can be made visible through mark-making.

In my recent work, I create colorful, layered drawings where energy seems to take shape before scattering again. Sometimes this movement feels meditative and deliberate, while at other times it is impulsive and chaotic. These forms overlap, break apart, or reorganize, reflecting my belief that perception is not fixed but always shifting. The drawings often offer a more direct depiction of fluctuating energy. In contrast, the larger format of my paintings allows for a broader view, where these elements come together in a kind of internal landscape. Color becomes a tool for mapping emotional states and degrees of intensity, while the marks represent the raw material of thought. Navigating inner turmoil and intense emotions with compassion, I cultivate a mental flexibility that helps me meet life’s continual twists. My practice invites me to observe these shifts, stay open to what emerges, and trust the presence that exists beneath the noise.