Sandra Vásquez De La Horra

Sandra Vásquez de la Horra is a visual artist who creates drawings and other works on paper. Growing up in Pinochet-era Chile, Vásquez de la Horra, who studied graphic design and typography, is best known for her wax coated pencil drawings and prints that explore themes of political violence, death, and sexual exploitation. These psychologically charged works depict figures, often females, caught in grotesque or surreal scenes—from a hand holding a decapitated head to a man lying next to what appears to be his own skeleton. Even in the most horrorific situations though, Vásquez de la Horra imbues her work with ambivalence and a state of remove, providing space for the viewer to more fully engage with the subjects.

Vásquez de la Horra has been the subject of solo exhibitions at: Oldenburger Kunstverein in Germany, Musée d'Art Moderne de St-Etienne Métropole in France, and the Bonnefanten Museum in the Netherlands. She is also the recipient of the Drawing Prize of the Contemporary Art Foundation and the Art Prize of the Design Biennale in Chile.