Plastic artist, illustrator, editor, artistic director and psychologist with multidisciplinary training and career.
This space shows, brings together and connects recent works, projects from different periods and disciplines, from other lives, with the intention of showing the invisible thread that unites them.
Art as a refuge. Color as a direct form of communication. Like a swallow that returns to its nest after a long journey.
- VISUAL ARTIST: Luis Gómez R.
Talking about Sandra Illana's work is talking about herself.
Her proposal underlies a theme of discovery and discovering herself day by day with a sincere and accurate approach, which evidences her deep discernment about art with a view that unveils her posture before life, a vision that she replicates in her work that also denotes a solid and digested handling of her tools for creation.
She loves and always smiles at life
Her continuous several year search, her permanent curiosity, stopping and starting again, the mixture of her personal life with her creative process, poetry, academic training and her private research makes her an emerging integral artist who at the same time throughout her journey has traveled through different expressive media, rehearsing and erring to be able to outline a solid proposal that defines her position in the face of what impacts her.
Art is one of her vehicles
A discourse that is based on introspection, on the intimate, the plural, the visceral, on the real value of the simple, which is automatically appropriated by each viewer who navigates between that explosion of textures and color. Landscape lines refer to a sectioned topography, with individual layers that communicate a life of their own, organized after a rigorous selection of textiles and papers that achieve "color plane ad lib overlays" that confront us with a noble beauty and a transparent naturalness, embroidered with the exquisite "mastery" of that wealth and formal freedom that emerges from her powerful work.
Training:
2007-2010: Higher Degree Studies in Plastic Arts and Design. Professional Family of Graphic Design. Illustration. School of Art Number 10. Madrid.
2009: Illustration techniques workshops given by Javier Zabala, Elena Odriozola, Elisa Arguile, Pablo Amargo, Pablo Auladell, Isidro Ferrer. Art School 10. Madrid.
2007-2008: Diploma of Advanced Studies and Research Sufficiency: "In the limits: Art Brut, women and artistic creation". Department of Didactics of Plastic Expression. UCM.
2005-2007: PhD candidate Applications of art in social integration, art, therapy and education in diversity. Faculty of Education. UCM.
2009-2014: Doctoral Thesis "Disease, creation and women: a gender perspective". Department of Didactics of Plastic Expression. Registered in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Madrid. UCM Directed by Marián López Fernandez Cao. (Not presented)
2006-2007: Postgraduate. UCM. University Diploma: Studies on Gender Violence. 80h. Faculty of Political Sciences and Sociology.
2005-2007: Postgraduate. UCM. Master: Feminist and Gender Studies. 850h. Complutense Institute of Feminist Research.
1997-2002: Degree in Psychology from the Complutense University of Madrid. Specialization in Social Psychology.
Searches and encounters:
I have made various publications and individual and collective exhibitions and given workshops on artistic creation and expression as well as workshops on feminism and artistic creation in different fields and institutions.
I have worked in the Department of Studies of the Institute of Women and the Office for Gender Equality of the UCM and I have collaborated with the Department of Didactics of Plastic Expression of the Faculty of Education of the UCM, leading the secretariat of the journal of UCM Art Therapy.
I have collaborated with various cultural and editorial associations publishing several Illustrated books. I created a small independent publishing house (a swallow editions). I have worked in the field of performing arts creating and designing sets, installations, posters, costumes and art direction. In this space I would highlight my collaboration in various productions with the company “Ultramarinos de Lucas”, 2015 National Theater Award.
... and I have searched, and I have also found ...
"When the real is no longer what it was, nostalgia takes on its meaning" (Baudrillard, J.)
Exhibitions:
individual
2012-2018: Permanent exhibition. Karaba Space, Guadalajara.
2015: "The Museum of the Park". The Slow Corner, Guadalajara.
2013: "The angles of tranquility". Metropolis, Guadalajara.
2012: "Ocnos. A single swallow does not make a summer". Guadalajara Public Library.
collective
2021: Illustration Contest: Imagined geographies. Guadalajara Public Library.
2021:VII Exhibition of Women in Art "AMALIA AVIA" - Domestic landscapes: memories, absences and other realities. Institute of Women of Castilla-La Mancha. Itinerant in Castilla La Mancha.
2015: "Illustrators against gender violence". Valdeluz Exhibition Hall.
2015: "Astonishing". Blue Room. Palace of the Infantado. Guadalajara
2014: "Monstropolis". Metropolis, Rincón Lento. Guadalajara.
2014: "Nighthawks - Night Birds". Metropolis. Slow Corner. Guadalajara.
2013: "World Day of…". Metropolis, Rincón Lento. Guadalajara.
2013: "De verde". Metropolis, Rincón Lento. Guadalajara.
2012: "Geometric place". Metropolis, Guadalajara.
2008: "Collection of secrets". House of Culture. Azuqueca de Henares.
Publications:
2020: Illustration in the book "Bocados lentos" Ediciones Lentas.
2014: Editing, design and layout of the book "Cuaderno de Olas". Estrella Ortiz. A swallow edits.
2011: Illustrated book "Amor entre Sombras" Editorial Latas de Cartón. Jose Orna. Saragossa. Making illustrations.
2010: Non-sexist education notebooks nº 24. Illustration of the edition published by the Women's Institute. Training in relation.
2010: Arteterapia Magazine. Nº 5. UCM. 2010 Rosa Regás Award for Curricular Materials with Coeducational Value. Junta de Andalucía. Editorial Eneida.
2009: Arteterapia Magazine. Nº 4. UCM. Exhibition: visions and encounters.
2008: Arteterapia Magazine. Nº 3. UCM. Camille Claudet on herself.
Performing arts:
2021: Artistic direction and costumes.: "MUSE OH!". RESAD.
2019: Design and creation of costumes and props. "EXTRA VIRGIN, CABARET". RESAD.
2015:
2014: Artistic direction and costumes. "Il Grande Francesco". Carlos Jano.
2013: Scenography and props. "Aladin". Tragaleguas theater.
2012: Design and creation of Scenography. "the Cave" Fantastic setting. with Ana Ongil. Guadalajara Public Library.
2012: Scenography and props. "China Tao" . Tragaleguas theater.
2012: Design and creation of props and scenography "Pinocho" for the Ultramarinos de Lucas Company. National theater award 2015.
2010: Set design and costumes for the montage. Guadalajara 55.0. Tragaleguas theater.
2010: Realization of scenography and costumes. “La noche, Ultramarinos de Lucas.
2010: Workshop: Are you there monster ?. Workshop on artistic expression and creation from the illustration book "the monster of Lake Soledad". Palace of the Infantado. Blue Room.
Awards:
2008: VII Edition of the Engraving, Photography and Poster Awards. Retiro District Poster Design Award. General Directorate for Equal Opportunities. Madrid.
2009: Selected for the Kronos and kairos Project. Art 10. Madrid. Exhibition "Time Machine to Perfect Time". Galleri Norre Port. Sweden.
2020: Selected for the VII Exhibition of Women in Art of the Institute of Women of Castilla-La Mancha.
2021: Selected for the Illustration Contest: Imagined geographies. Guadalajara Public Library.