WORK
ABOUT
CONTACT
BIO
Athena Quispe is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based on the East Coast. She received the 2020 Rema Hort Mann Emerging Artist Grant and holds a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an MFA from Yale University. Her work, which critically engages with themes of cultural heritage, materiality, and the convergence of traditional and contemporary practices, has been featured in Editorial Magazine, Artsy, Ocula Magazine, and ArtReview. Her exhibitions include shows at The Pit in Los Angeles, Jeffrey Deitch Gallery in New York, and Sean Kelly Gallery in New York.
Quispe recently completed a yearlong fellowship at NXTHVN in New Haven, CT, where she deepened her interdisciplinary approach to art. She also participated in the Interdisciplinary Art and Theory Program (IATP) in Manhattan, which further informed her practice by engaging with critical theory and contemporary discourse. Currently, she is focused on integrating her artistic practice with education, teaching STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) to students in New England. In her teaching, Quispe emphasizes the connections between art and science, encouraging a thoughtful exploration of how these disciplines intersect. As she continues to develop her practice, Quispe remains committed to examining the narratives of identity, tradition, and innovation, while seeking meaningful and engaged creative opportunities.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Athena Quispe is an artist who employs Cochineal and ancestral blood to venerate and express the memory of her genes. Guided by her mother's phlebotomist precision, she harvests this ancestral essence, infusing it into her works with reverence and respect. This blood, a crimson thread to her heritage, symbolizes the living connection to her lineage. Cochineal, an insect that, when dried and pulverized, transforms into a sacred dye used for centuries throughout the Americas, further enhances this connection. In each application, she channels the legacy of inherited knowledge and wisdom.
Through alchemical processes, she manipulates the pH of her elixirs, producing an array of spectral hues. The careful integration of metalwork with the varied colors and textures evokes a profound connection to heritage. This approach represents a transmutation of both psyche and soul through the use of ancestral blood, Cochineal, pulverized crystals, and the adaptation of Indigenous Andean textiles.
By venerating her blood memory, Athena explores principles of spirituality, tradition, and symbology. Her works are darkened doorways, inviting the viewer to traverse the shadows and engage deeply, to unearth the layers of meaning enshrouded within—each piece a cryptic manuscript of cultural heritage, spiritual symbolism, and the ceaseless interplay between tradition and modernity.
Quispe’s integration of STEM principles into her art practice reflects a broader interest in the synergies between traditional knowledge systems and contemporary scientific inquiry. Her work interrogates the role of materiality in shaping cultural and spiritual narratives, and it invites viewers to engage with the complex interplay between heritage, identity, and modernity. By incorporating elements of pH manipulation, metalwork, and textile techniques, Quispe's practice becomes a site where the ancestral and the contemporary converge, challenging and expanding the boundaries of both art and science.
As an educator, Quispe applies this interdisciplinary approach to her teaching, particularly within STEAM education. She fosters a learning environment where students are encouraged to explore the dynamic relationships between the arts and sciences, bridging the gap between creative and technical disciplines. Through her work and pedagogy, Quispe seeks to illuminate the profound connections between the past and present, the physical and spiritual, and the traditional and the innovative.
Athena Quispe’s studio is managed with care by Elliot Sloane, who oversees all inquiries regarding the acquisition of her artwork. To connect with the studio, please email:
elliot@athenaquispe.com
elliot@athenaquispe.com