Gisela Romero

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1960
 
Venezuelan Visual Artist whose work is centered in the interrelation of opposites, in the necessary tension between contraries.
 
Based on the phrases SOMETHING is the germ of the OTHER and to live is to live with others, her work constructs a weaving in which the black doesn't exist without the white, the empty without the full, the cold without the warm, today without yesterday and vice versa.
 
Her investigation is based on the territory of dualities and the experimentation of the extremes. Her reflection is generated from the relations between different ideas and when combining images and words they complement each other, they move away in a circular rhythm in which questions and answers obtain balance.
 
 
Artista Visual Venezolana cuya obra se centra en el interés por la interrelación de opuestos, en la necesaria tensión existente entre contrarios para que se reconozcan, se intercambien y se nutran.
 
Sobre la base de que ALGO es el germen de lo OTRO, de que vivir es vivir con otros, su trabajo construye un tejido en el cual no existe el negro sin el blanco, lo vacío sin lo lleno, lo frío sin lo cálido, el hoy sin el ayer y viceversa.
 
Su investigación se fundamenta en el territorio de las dualidades y en la experimentación de los extremos. Su reflexión se genera a partir de las relaciones entre ideas distintas y al combinar la imagen con la palabra éstas se complementan, se encuentran y se alejan en un ritmo circular en el cual preguntas y respuestas consiguen el balance.
 
 
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Gisela Romero graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts, California, in 1985 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 1992 she received her Master of Fine Arts degree (Printmaking major) from Pratt Institute, New York. Romero also studied Literature at the "Universidad Central de Venezuela".
 
Since 1985, Romero has been a professor in various cultural institutions in Venezuela. In the 1980s also worked at the National Art Gallery in the Education Department and at “El Diario de Caracas” newspaper where she had the opportunity of illustrating political and social articles. Between 1996 and 1997 she was the Vice President of the “Caracas Drawing Circle” and since 1993 Romero has been  a member of the Associated Graphic Artists of Venezuela, TAGA.
 
As a MFA candidate, Romero was influenced by the Pattern and Decoration movement believing in raising the status of decoration in contemporary art and giving a new level to woman-made crafts. She participated in many group shows and in solo shows showing pieces dealing with the nature of decoration and at the same time with the idea of the tension between opposites. From 1993 to 1996 she produced the series “Between Earth and Heaven”, “Systems” and “Contraries” using the circle and the square as symbols of the struggle between extremes and the need for balance.
 
Since 1997 Romero has been interested in Feminist Art investigating the role of women in Latin America and depicting in her work issues as the loss of virginity, the forbidden sexuality and motherhood using dualities as the frame to deal with lust and sanctity, women and men and desire and obligation.
 
In 2000 Romero completed her first Artist’s Book in which she puts together poems and images that represent the opposition between genders.
 
Romero has participated in Artists Groups, Biennials and Exhibitions representing her country and her work is represented in many private collections.
 
At the present time besides producing her own works of art, she is teaching creative writing and experimental printmaking, working as the editor of a newsletter for Acción Solidaria, an AIDS Foundation.
 
In December 2000 Romero had a solo show in which she presented artworks with the idea of pieces that come from the inside to the outside, the need to go to the center in order to trespass dualities and find the essence, and in April 2001 had a solo show with pieces that are the reverse of themselves in relation to the phrase “It is the other way around”.  She continues producing Artist’s Books with images and words that deal with the tension between genders.
 
Romero lives and works in Caracas.