Renata Santamarina has been creating her utopia since 1996. She was born in Mexico City from Catalan and Galician ancestry. The artist has been in a quest for the beauty held in the surreal for as long as she can remember. As a student and keen observator of magic understandings of the world, the artist has found the Soul that holds together her proposal. She communicates through fantasy images to the world, being drawing and painting her main channel.

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Her visual influences are many. The interest for detail comes from flemish painting. The development of drawing arises from observing the best ones of the craft like L. Lipton, W. Jamnitzer & E. Haeckel. As for the color, she likes images that have a limited palette, taking as a reference some film directors like Wes Anderson.

Renata’s subjects of interest have always been non existing realities so she has been amazed by the proposal of visionary artists like Remedios Varo or H. Bosch since childhood. 

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Renata is an independent artist based in Mexico City.  She started her creation journey at the age of 16 with her first training in visual arts at “Escuela de Iniciación Artística 1” from “Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes”. Later, she graduated from “Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía” with a degree in Art Conservation. This helped her understand the craft behind making works of art, taking into consideration the logic, history and chemistry of the materials. 

Her training as an artist has also been nurtured by taking specialization courses, highlighting the portrait lessons in “Barcelona Atelier” and in “La Madriguera” with Paula Bonet. 

 

Her work has been shown in solo and collective shows, as well as art fairs, around Mexico and the United States. Renata’s paintings and drawings have found their home in private collections all around the world, having presence now in more than ten countries. The artist has collaborated with different brands, highlighting the projects for Netflix and Nissan. 

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CURRICULUM VITAE

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EDUCATION

• 2012 - 2014 “Introduction to Visual Arts”, 3-year degree program at “Escuela de Iniciación Artística 1, INBA,  Mexico City.

• 2016 - 2021 BFA Art Conservation at “Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía, Mexico City.

• 2016 “Illustration” Diploma Course  by Gerardo Suzán, at Academia de San Carlos, Mexico City.

• 2018 Particular drawing lessons at Edgar Clement’s Workshop.

• 2019 “Portrait Drawing“ Workshop by Xavi Denia, at Barcelona Atelier, Barcelona.

• 2020 “A modern take on composition, drawing & color in portrait painting” Workshop by  Deniz Sarazhin, through “The Art Digger Lab”.

• 2021 “Drawing Human Figure” Workshop by Kevin Müller at Atelier Mesones, Mexico City.

• 2022 “Portrait Painting” Workshop by Paula Bonet at La Madriguera, Barcelona.

• 2024 “Art Therapy Intensive Course” by Creatar, Mexico City.

• 2024 “Traditional Priming in Painting” Workshop by Ttamayo, Mexico City.

 

EXHIBITIONS

• 2014, Group exhibition “Acid ink”, Gallery “Laboratorio X Arte Contemporáneo”, Mérida, Yucatán.

• 2015, Solo show “Tangles inside a Shroom”, Gallery “El Delirio”, Mexico City.

• 2017 Group Exhibition “Punto de Fuga”, ARCA Gallery at “MUTEM” Mexico City.

• 2018 Group Exhibition “Libre”, ARCA Gallery at “MUTEM”, Mexico City.

• 2018, Solo show “Dejemos al menos flores”, ToroSiete Virtual Museum, USA

• 2019 Group Exhibition “Amor Perenne”, ARCA Gallery at “MUTEM” Mexico City.

• 2019 Group Exhibition “Subasta Arte Vivo”, Museo de Arte Moderno, Mexico City.

• 2019, Solo show “Grimorio”, ARCA Gallery at “Estación Chabacano, STC”, Mexico City.

• 2020 Group Exhibition “Subasta con Causa”, Museo de Memoria y Tolerancia, Mexico City.

• 2020, Solo show “Nymphae”, ToroSiete Virtual Museum, USA.

• 2020, Solo show “Guestlist for my Funeral”, “Centro Cultural La Mano”, Mexico City.

• 2022, Solo show “Canto Antiguo”, Kolectivo Gallery, Mexico City.

• 2023, Group Exhibition and Live Painting at “GalaxArt Debut”, Art Basel Week in Miami, USA.

• 2024, Group Exhibition “En Voz Alta”, Agua Fuerte Gallery, Mexico City.

 

PROJECTS

• 2014, “Alebrije Mexicano”, Commisioned mural painting for “El Rincón de Lara” Restaurant, Mérida, México.

• 2018, “Locomopétalo”, Commisioned painting for Murano SUV Debut by NISSAN at “El Frontón”, Mexico City.

• 2019, “Colores para llevar”, Commisioned painting for cultural project by Coca-Cola Company, Mexico City.

• 2022, “Sueño de Vishnu”, Commisioned mural painting for “Tiempo Yoga” Holistic Center, Mexico City.

• 2022, “Madera Mexicana”, Commisioned paintings “Pinocho” Advertising Campaign by Netflix, Mexico City.

• 2023, “Pétalos de Buddah”, Commisioned mural painting for “Gym Juice Yoga” Fitness Center, Mexico City.

 

ART FAIRS

• 2020, Art Fort Lauderdale, Representation by ToroSiete, Miami, USA.

• 2024 BADA México, Individual  Booth , Mexico City.

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ART RESIDENCIES/SYMPOSIUMS

• 2022, Month Residence at La Madriguera, guided by Paula Bonet, Barcelona.

• 2025, IASF 2025, International Art & Science Festival 2025 by Kupula Art Mexico and ArtDuo Project, Mexico City

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PUBLISHED ARTICLES

• 2024, Santamarina, Renata. (2024, noviembre-diciembre). Una carta de amor a la vida a través del dibujo. Revista Digital Universitaria, 25(6). http://doi.org/10.22201/ceide.16076079e.2024.25.6.11

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AWARDS

• 2012, First place at drawing contest “EXPRESARTE” by UNAM

 

PUBLICATIONS

• 2015, Renata Santamarina. Fragments of Reality, Lienzo Magazine, Number XI

• 2018, Renata Santamarina, Dejemos al menos flores, TOROSIETE Magazine, Vol. II

 

GALLERY REPRESENTATION

• 2018 – 2020, Not exclusive representation by Torosiete, Virginia, USA.

• 2021 – 2023 ,Not exclusive representation by Kolectivo Gallery, Mexico City.

• 2025 – Upgoing, Exclusive representation in Oregon State by Imperfecta XYZ, Oregon, USA.