LAUREN MANTECÓN

 

LAUREN MANTECÓN is an American abstract painter and educator based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work is characterized by its exploration of the “in-between places”—ephemeral, spiritual, and psychological spaces—using abstract forms and color to express boundaries, tension, and transcendence. MANTECÓN draws inspiration from dreams, psychic sensibilities, and the philosophies of 19th-century Romanticism and Transcendentalism, particularly their reverence for nature and spirituality.

She has been a professional artist for over three decades and is also a mentor and creative guide, offering workshops and individualized mentorships aimed at helping artists discover their unique voices and overcome creative blocks. Her teaching experience includes positions at the University of Portland and Portland State University, and she is recognized for her compassionate, intuitive approach to both art-making and teaching. 

MANTECÓN is a first-generation Mexican American who moved frequently between the East and West Coasts during her upbringing. Her practice emphasizes self-reflection, personal insight, and the healing power of art, both for the artist and the wider world.

Her life-long studies of metaphysics, psycho-spirituality and fascination with the inexplicable mysteries of life currently inform her work. Symbols of veils, mists, orbs, black holes, sting-like pearls, abstracted landscapes, and ghost vessels are her leitmotifs.

MANTECÓN shares more about her work, "My work embodies a lifelong fascination with the inexplicable mysteries of life. Each painting elicits complex layered surfaces exploring a multitude of materials and paint in combination with the ephemeral subject matter.”

Artist Statements and Interviews

  • MANTECÓN's own statements emphasize her pursuit of beauty as a "divine intelligence" and her interest in the "subtle realms beyond our rational minds." Her recent series, "Flash of Beauty," was inspired by travels to Egypt and explores the liminal spaces between form and spirit.

  • MANTECÓN has presented over 20 solo shows and participated in more than 30 group exhibitions in the U.S. and Mexico, with her work displayed in museums and galleries such as the Newport Art Museum, Marin MOCA, Provincetown Art Museum, and Trove Gallery, Park City Utah among others.

  • Overall, reviews and articles consistently highlight Lauren MANTECÓN's ability to merge the spiritual with the abstract, creating art that invites viewers to contemplate the mysteries of existence, and the boundaries between the seen and unseen.

  • Studio Visit Magazine (Volumes #47 and #52): MANTECÓN has been featured in multiple volumes, reflecting her ongoing relevance in the contemporary art scene.

  • THE Magazine (Santa Fe Monthly, 2015): She received coverage for her exhibitions and artistic approach, particularly her integration of spiritual and metaphysical concepts.

  • In a 2023 interview on the Art2Life podcast, she discussed the "shifting revelatory process of art-making," highlighting her commitment to exploring the unseen and guiding viewers through transformative visual experiences.

  • She is also recognized as an educator, having taught at the University of Portland, Portland State University, and Santa Fe Community College, and has led numerous workshops on mixed media and painting techniques.

  • MANTECÓN has been active in the art community for decades, with experience in both solo and group exhibitions. She has been represented by galleries in Portland and Santa Fe and has participated in artist residencies, including at the Santa Fe Art Institute and the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation.