Alexis Mata

1982

Mexico City

Your paintings often feature recurring symbols and forms, many of them tied to Mexican landscapes. Do you draw inspiration from a specific place, or are these elements a fusion of various locations?
My work is rooted in personal experiences that connect with landscapes charged with symbolic meaning, such as the Mexican desert. I don’t limit myself to a single place; rather, I gather visual, emotional, and cultural fragments from different environments and blend them to create a landscape that is more psychological than geographic. I enjoy visiting these places to take photos, and sometimes just sitting quietly and watching a sunset is enough to spark inspiration. I’m interested in building atmospheres that evoke both the real and the imaginary, using symbols drawn from nature as well as urban surroundings.

Beating Loneliness, group show 2025. MONTI8. Installation view

 

Technology is a constant presence in your recent work. How does it shape your thinking and approach as an artist?
Technology is not only a tool in my process—it’s also a conceptual starting point. I like to create a dialogue with technology; it’s part of my process and an essential tool in my artistic development. I’m drawn to how digital errors, glitches, or AI-generated images can reveal new ways of seeing and feeling. I work with these images digitally, often introducing distortions or disruptions, and then translate them into manual techniques such as painting, embroidery, or stained glass. That translation allows me to play with the tension between control and chaos, between the machine and the human hand.

How do you envision your practice evolving in the near future?
I’m increasingly interested in expanding my work into formats like video, animation, and immersive installations. I want to continue exploring narratives that stem from sensory or visionary experiences—like my research around peyote in the desert—but bring those into dialogue with contemporary technologies. I’m also drawn to collaborating with artisans and specialists in traditional craft techniques to translate altered digital images into new physical forms. I feel that my practice is moving toward a deeper integration of the digital, the material, and the symbolic.

Alexis Mata, Mirror in the Desert, 2025. Oil on canvas, cm 150×230