Chicago Exhibition Week: Victoria Martinez
Ribbon Fence is a series of colorful monoprints by Victoria Martinez newly published by Process/Process. Join us Saturday, September 19 from 4:30 until 6:30pm for a special reception and exhibition viewing as part of Chicago Exhibition Week's Southside Night.
Working at our Pilsen print studio, Martinez composed each image in real time, first by painting the wrought iron fences common to Chicago’s Lower West Side with ink made from hibiscus flowers; then, by running ribbon-like, vinyl tape through the press in playful arrangements; and finally, by adding shapes in various colors. The works in Ribbon Fence incorporate plastic ribbon sourced from a nearby hardware store and natural pigments. In this display, the print series is shown in the context of a recent painting, When I see you (2024).
- The works will be on view by appointment September 14 through October 31, 2026.
- Learn more about Ribbon Fence in our Online Viewing Room.
Victoria Martinez is an interdisciplinary artist who honors her Mexican-American ancestry through textile-based projects including painting and public art. Her work is inspired by ancient sites, architecture, and the urban environment. Martinez has exhibited at venues including the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, CT, the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, IL, the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, TX, and Museo Universitario Del Chopo in Mexico City. As a woman making abstract work, Martinez is interested in “taking up space,” tapping into cultural memories and practices, and engaging the history of painting itself.
