The identities of Margarita Azurdia | Exhibition | StyleFeelFree

The creative universe of Daisy Azurdiafull of allusions to Guatemala, his native land, recreates in the Reina Sofía Museum a space to reflect on existence

Tradition, spirituality, the origin of life and nature are themes that exerted a great influence on the work of Daisy Azurdia (Guatemala 1931-1998). His transgressive spirit was pierced by the currents that he discovered in the places and times that he inhabited, but especially by the history and culture of Guatemala. At the same time, the processes of personal transformation that she experienced led her to change her name on several occasions. one of those names Daisy Rita Rica Dynamite is the one that gives title to the exhibition that can be seen in the Reina Sofia Museum. Here they have a place from his first plastic inclusions in informalist painting to the poems and artist books that he produced during his stay in Paris. In the French capital, in addition to impregnating herself with the new feminisms, she became interested in dance and body art.

The long stay in Paris was decisive in the work of Margarita Azurdia, but also the influence of her country of origin. In 1982 she returned to Guatemala with new perspectives that led her to create an experimental dance group with Benjamín Herrarte and Fernando Iturbide. Her interest in the movement of her body leads her to explore the origins of rituals and sacred dances. Likewise, she delves into a spirituality based on a philosophy of transformation and personal healing, linked to nature and the environment. All this is reflected in her artistic production. She is especially appreciated in the paintings, rituals and altars dedicated to the Mother Goddess that she made in the last years of her life. as she points out rossina cazalicurator of the exhibition, regarding this last stage and her devotion to the Mother Goddess “everything is related to the deity, to the feminine”.

Evolution of the artistic practice of Margarita Azurdia

Margarita Azurdia’s first individual exhibition took place in Guatemala in 1963. It featured reduced-palette paintings in the vein of American Expressionism and a series of concentric ovals in contrasting colors. These ovals, recurring in her early production, are associated with cosmology and refer to the origin and nature of the universe. On the other hand, in his series geometric is inspired by indigenous Guatemalan textiles. These large-format paintings are the subject of another exhibition that takes place at the DS Gallery in 1968. A few months later they will be shown again at the Cisneros Gallery in New York.

However, the evolution of Margarita Azurdia’s work gradually shifted towards a more personal and existential vision. This was influenced by the 1970s, for oriental philosophy and space travel. Later, her interest in her dance leads her to a more introspective work. As if it were a therapeutic process, it helps you unlock traumatic experiences from the past. This is how a series of autobiographical drawings arise that she closes with her work titled art house (1992).

Two pieces culminate the artistic career of Margarita Azurdia are Altars I Y II (1998). These works take up the reinterpretation of the classic altars of the towns of the Guatemalan highlands that he had already dealt with in the series Tribute to Guatemala (1971-1974). Signed with the name of Margarita Anastasia, they celebrate the rebirth of the artist as a being of light. In the panels there are objects that allude to the spirituality of the artist, her affective ties and childhood memories of her. As an offering, these altars also gather elements used in her rituals such as flowers, candles or musical instruments. Likewise, they present female figures carved in wood in the center that represent the Mother Goddess.

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