Artist Ileana García Magoda Gains Clarity From Nature

Recently in Paris, Whitewall Projects raised the curtain on an inaugural group exhibition. Coinciding with Art Basel Paris, near the Grand Palais, the show, “From Nature” dazzled throughout a chic Parisian apartment on 37 Roosevelt 75008 Paris. Curated by Emma Donnersberg, Marion Guggenheim, and Nicolas Dewavrin, the presentation shined light on visionaries Maho Nakamura, Fabien Adèle, Louis Alcaraz, Apollinaria Broche, Mia Chaplin, Eugénie Didier, Daria Dmytrenko, DRIFT, Sasha Ferré, Pandora Graessl, Rafael Y. Herman, Alexandre Lenoir, William Macnad, Kami Mierzvvinsk, Roman Moriceau, and the soulful Ileana García Magoda. The lush exhibition was staged by Donnersberg, enhanced by Flos lighting and Diptyque fragrances.

García Magoda creates compelling acrylic paintings that explore the liminal space between physical fragility and spiritual transcendence. Informed by her experience with Occult Spinal Dysraphism, her work transmutes personal struggle into universal themes of resilience and transformation. The artist’s canvases feature vibrant, almost psychedelic flora —a recurring motif symbolizing life’s delicate balance and hinting at alternate, pain-free realities. Her unique visual language is enriched by her multidisciplinary background: graphic design, art direction in television, and an acclaimed career in electronic music as ‘Smurphy.’ Since focusing solely on painting in 2021, García Magoda has rapidly gained international recognition, her work showcased in Mexico City, Miami, and Paris. Each piece stands as a testament to the power of creativity to reshape perception and transcend physical limitations.

This week, the inspired creative’s luminous show “Angels of Power, Angels of Beauty” opens at BERNHEIM, Zurich, on view through January 25, 2025. García Magoda’s inaugural solo exhibition in Europe offers tremendous new explorations by way of alluring paintings. Energized by the literature of Irina Tweedie, a symphony of self-realization plays out in an organic, tender palette, the overwhelming beauty of nature and the human body engaged in a limitless fantasia. 

Whitewall sat down with García Magoda, where she imparted the nuances of her creative practice, like the clarity that arises in touching damp clay, and the emotional colors she uses to compose her lyrical masterpieces. 

WHITEWALL: Prior to dedicating yourself to painting, you worked as an art director, produced albums, and toured internationally. What led you to painting in 2020?

ILEANA GARCÍA MAGODA: After several months of lockdown, everything was put into perspective. I was uncertain about my future, but I knew design and music weren’t it. Randomly, I took a remote ceramics course for beginners, something I’d never tried. While working with clay, I gained clarity and realized my true vocation was painting. I’d always envisioned myself retired and painting, which raised questions: Why do things I dislike just to retire and then pursue my passion? Was it due to limiting beliefs, fear, or the conviction that art couldn’t sustain me? Why wait for a future that might never come? It was one of those moments in life where your back is against the wall and you have nothing to lose, so I took the leap.

Finding Answers in Nature

WW: Can you tell us about your relationship to nature in your work and practice?

IGM: Nature is where I find answers too. Touching damp clay gave me clarity, and I’ve had similar experiences when touching soil while tending to plants. I pay intense attention to plants in an abstract way and feel compelled to touch them. I’m not one to know their names; I just notice them acutely, and they influence me subtly. It’s like an obsessive spatial awareness where plants or landscapes are prominent to me. In my practice, plants are symbols challenging my own weaknesses. They go through phases, like in “Garden of Emotion” where fragmented strokes create emotionally charged flowers. In “Sacral Cards,” I explore verticality and symmetry, concepts that have always been difficult in my physical experience. Colors are emotions to me, like musical notes I can compose with.

Creating Art That’s About Something Bigger 

WW: What was the starting point for your works that will be on view in the exhibition?

IGM: I started the “Daughter of Life” series earlier this year, around spring, from a place of detachment. After creating a very intimate previous series, I felt the need to detach from the idea of myself and my feelings. Moving back to Mérida, Yucatán, influenced me significantly. Living in a humid tropical environment humbles you; there are more important things than yourself. The pervasive humidity and dominating plants and animals change your perspective, especially coming from Mexico City’s urban landscape to a more isolated, nature-surrounded environment. Even in downtown Mérida, nature’s strength is evident. Staring at the patio’s bushes and trees, I realized how hard it is to find objects’ limits in nature, contrary to the city’s clear delimitations. As I struggled with walking again, contemplating the bushes made me forget my own limits. When I started this series, it became hard to feel myself while creating them. It wasn’t about me anymore but about something bigger. I let myself lose control.

“As I struggled with walking again, contemplating the bushes made me forget my own limits,”

Ileana García Magoda

A Search for Home Linked to a Creative Evolution

WW: Can you tell us about your studio? 

IGM: My studio is my home. I began working from home in 2015, naturally setting up my studio there. I’ve been moving frequently in recent years to accommodate my growing practice, and as it expands, my living space shrinks. This prompted my move to Mérida last year and my recent return to central Mexico, to Querétaro. The search for a home is directly linked to my work. Coming from Mexico City, I’m exhausted by its rhythm. Despite it being an art hub now, I can’t tolerate its density. Living in smaller towns reduces my stress, which is evident in my work’s evolution. 

WW: What is a typical day like for you there?

IGM: I typically start my day with stretches and coffee, then head to the studio where I’ve left something prepared to work on. I prefer painting in natural daylight, working in short sessions to avoid hurting my back, though sometimes it’s unavoidable. Before starting a new piece, I practice Kundalini yoga to enter a dream-like state, perfect for laying down the first lines or shapes. I never sketch compositions; each piece evolves organically. When physically focused on any activity, I believe we can access direct, intuitive knowledge—this is my main motivation for painting.

“When physically focused on any activity, I believe we can access direct, intuitive knowledge—this is my main motivation for painting,”

Ileana García Magoda

The Artist’s Growing Process Inside and Out 

WW: Is there an element of your creative process you make sure to do each day?

IGM: Reading, visualizing, and dreaming are fundamental to my creative process, as is maintaining good physical condition through stretches and Kundalini yoga, which I alternate every other day. I ensure that my practice progresses daily, even if in small increments. 

WW: What are you working on next in the studio?

IGM: I’m in a new town, in a new home with a massive studio. I’m eager to set it up and start experimenting with larger formats, anticipating the challenges this will bring and how my body will respond. My process is a constant adaptation to the format, figuring out how to work without injuring myself, how to grow stronger, and discovering my own limits.