Born in El Salvador in 1976, Guadalupe Maravilla is a Brooklyn-based transdisciplinary artist, choreographer and healer whose work is profoundly influenced by his experience as an undocumented child migrant fleeing the Salvadoran Civil War. He became a U.S. citizen in 2016 and adopted the name Maravilla, meaning ‘wonder’ in Spanish, as a tribute to his father. Drawing from personal mythology, Indigenous healing traditions and collective memory, his work often incorporates volcanic rock, gongs, anatomical models and other found objects into ritualistic sculptures known as Disease Throwers. These large-scale pieces function as shrines and instruments for communal sound baths, offering art as a means of providing care, facilitating transformation, and promoting vibrational healing. As Maravilla states, “Now that I’ve learned to heal myself, I have to teach others how to heal themselves”. His solo shows include Mariposa Relámpago at the ICA Boston, Tierra Blanca Joven at the Brooklyn Museum, and Provocations at the ICA Miami, as well as in group exhibitions at the MoMA, the Reina Sofía, the Whitney Museum, and the Tate Modern. He has also participated in several international biennials, including those in Lyon (2024), Gwangju (2023), Liverpool (2023), and São Paulo (2023). He was awarded the Guggenheim Fellowship (2019), the Joan Mitchell Fellowship (2021), and the LatinX Fellowship (2021). He is represented by the P.P.O.W. Gallery (New York) and the Mor charpentier gallery (Paris). Image : Guadalupe Maravilla, 2023, Photo © Makenzie Goodman |
