Much of Brazilian native Samantha Ortiz’s textile-based work in this exhibition is focused on healing herself and inviting others to heal themselves. Viewers may do so by using the energy she considers to be imprinted in her artwork during the focused process of making her tactile, intimate art objects. Ortiz uses “slow” handmade techniques such as stamping, stitching, hand-dyeing, and painting to imbue her often wearable or interactive work with a sense of the considerable time spent creating them. Through her artwork, time and memory become touchable. Ortiz’s own effort, memories, and healing thoughts are shared with the viewer through their interaction with the work.

About Samantha Ortiz

Ortiz has had her work exhibited at Venice Biennial Art, has done lectures and exhibitions in Art Museums, Art Galleries, Design Stores and Art Institutions in Lisbon, New York, Madrid, Valparaíso, Indianapolis and many cities in Brazil, such as Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Campinas, São José dos Campos, Botucatu, Porto Alegre, Espírito Santo and Brasília.

Ortiz studied Fine Arts at FAAP College (Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado/Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation), Textile Design at ESMOD (École Supérieure des Art et Technique de la Mode/College of Art and Fashion Textile Techniques), Natural Dyeing, Photography, Knitting, Batik, Shibori, Pojagi, Woodcut, Metal Engraving, Lithography, Patchwork & Quilting and Contemporary Jewelry. Other areas of studying include The I Ching
(Philosophical Taxonomy of the Universe), The Secret Doctrine (Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy) from Helena Blavatsky, Reiki The Usui System of Healing (Japanese Healing Art) from Mikao Usui, Thoth Tarot (Divinatory Tarot Deck) from Aleister Crowley and Anthroposophy (Spiritual Philosophy, Wisdom of the Human Being) from Rudolf Steiner. Ortiz currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.