Visual Artist / Chile
PROFILE
María Gracia Basso H. (Chile, 1997) is a visual artist based in Viña del Mar. From a family of artists she dedicated herself to art since she was a child, her mature work consists of the exploration of new forms of representation of the human being in relation to its natural environment. Her consistent artistic work has led her to win 11 awards in national art competitions, including in 2017 the Litoral Honor Award in Valparaíso’s University National Competition and in 2024 one of the two prizes awarded by the Museum of Visual Arts of Santiago in its national competition for young artists.
Blurring the lines between the figurative and the abstract, the artist is inspired by surrealism and in her unique artistic proposal she explores dreamlike realism and psychological anatomy with painting and drawing techniques. She also studied architecture at Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, graduating in 2020, this has allowed her to work on art for public spaces on several occasions, being awarded with the 2nd Prize for the Gabriela Mistral Museum in 2022 and with an Honorable Mention for the new Santiago Airport in 2021, both national art competitions of the Ministry of Public Works of Chile.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
2024 "LarrainVial Award", XVII MAVI UC LarrainVial Young Art Award. Museum of Visual Arts, Santiago, Chile.
2023 Jury Distinction Award, XLV National Contest of Young Art, University of Valparaíso, Chile.
2022 2nd Prize, Department of Architecture, Ministry of Public Works. National Competition “Art Intervention in Gabriela Mistral’s House Museum, La Serena”. Coquimbo, Chile.
2021 Prize, Department of Architecture, Ministry of Public Works. National Competition "Art in Arturo Merino Benítez Airport of Santiago, West Boulevard Area , Metropolitan Region". Santiago, Chile.
2021 Prize, VI Young Artist National Competition ‘Artespacio Joven’, Artespacio Gallery. Santiago, Chile.
2020 SFMoMA San Francisco selects and publishes her work on its official Instagram, United States.
2017 Prize of Honour 'Litoral Banco de Chile', XXXIX Young Artist National Competition, Universidad de Valparaíso. Valparaíso, Chile.
2015 Prize, XXXVII Young Artist National Competition, Universidad de Valparaíso. Valparaíso, Chile.
2015 1st Prize, Painting Competition 'Balones Copa América'. Valparaíso, Chile.
2010 2nd Prize, National Art Competition 'Estampilla del Bicentenario', Santiago, Chile.
2009 2nd Prize, III National Art Competition 'Agatha Ruiz de la Prada’, Santiago, Chile.
2006 1st Prize, IV National Painting Competition, Coopeuch Foundation, Santiago, Chile.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 "Inner Landscape", Sala América, Pontificia Universidad Católica Valparaíso, Chile.
2023 “Nociones Sobre el Subconsciente”, Casa del Arte Diego Rivera, Puerto Montt, Chile.
2020 “El Mito de la Caverna”, Pinacoteca Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
2017 “El Mito de la Caverna”, Juan de Saavedra Gallery, Valparaíso, Chile.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS, ART FAIRS AND COLLABORATIONS
2024 XVII MAVI UC Young Art Award. Museum of Visual Arts, Santiago, Chile.
2024 Itinerant exhibit of young art, David Stitchkin Gallery, University of Concepción, Chile.
2024 Exhibit of Young Art, Centro Cultural Espacio Matta, Santiago, Chile.
2024 "Drawing, collective exhibit", five contemporary artists, Artespacio Gallery, Santiago, Chile.
2023-24 XLV National Contest of Young Art UV, Sala El Farol, University of Valparaíso, Chile.
2023 "Laudato Si, A Look from Ethics", Duoc Universidad Católica, San Bernardo. Santiago, Chile.
2023 “XVI MAVI UC Prize” Artists National Competition. Museum of Visual Arts, Santiago, Chile.
2022 “Chanchos de Autor”: Art on ‘chachos de greda de Pomaire’. Ralli Museum, Santiago, Chile.
2022 “New Generations. Winners of ‘Artespacio Joven’ 2015-2022”. CV Gallery, Santiago, Chile.
2022 VII Young Artist National Competition ‘Artespacio Joven’, Artespacio Gallery. Santiago, Chile.
2021 ‘ArtStgo Digital’ International Art Fair, Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2021 ‘Latin American Galleries Now’ International Art Fair, Artsy.
2021 VI Young Artist National Competition ‘Artespacio Joven’, Artespacio Gallery. Santiago, Chile.
2021 X National Arts Competition ‘Artefacto’, Lo Matta Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2021 ‘Creaciones en Tiempos de Pandemia’, Viña del Mar Gallery. Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage and Cultural Corporation of Viña del Mar, Chile.
2020-21 National Painting Competition ‘Valparaíso 2020’, Museum of Fine Arts, Baburizza Palace. Cerro Alegre. Valparaiso, Chile.
2020 “‘100 Artistas X Chile’ Project”. Arte Urbano and Paternitas Foundation, Santiago, Chile.
2019 ‘Spectrum Miami’ International Art Fair, Wynwood. Miami, United States.
2019 ‘Laudato Si' Project’. Centro de Diálogo con el Arte y la Cultura de Santiago, San Francisco de Sales Parish Collection, Santiago, Chile.
2019 Young Artist Prize, Pinacoteca Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
2019 Bipersonal exhibition ‘Basso & Basso', Mauricio Fröis Gallery, Maule Theater, Talca, Chile
2019 Young Artist Prize, Espacio Matta Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2018 XL Young Artist National Competition, El Farol Gallery, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
2018 Art on 'Saco de Cemento Polpaico', Las Condes Design, Santiago, Chile.
2018 Young Artist Prize, Pinacoteca Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
2018 Young Artist Prize, Espacio Matta Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2018 ‘Laudato Si' Project’. Centro de Diálogo con el Arte y la Cultura de Santiago, San Francisco de Sales Parish Collection, Santiago, Chile.
2017 XXXIX Young Artist National Competition, El Farol Gallery, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
2017 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, Las Condes Design, Santiago, Chile.
2017 Young Artist Prize, Pinacoteca Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile.
2017 Young Artist Prize, Espacio Matta Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2016 'La Misericordia Project'. Centro de Diálogo con el Arte y la Cultura de Santiago, Archbishopric of Santiago Collection, Metropolitan Cathedral. Santiago, Chile.
2016 II Visual Arts National Competition of Valparaíso. Municipal Gallery of Art. Valparaíso, Chile.
2016 XXXVIII Young Artist National Competition, El Farol Gallery, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
2016 Young Artist Prize, Espacio Matta Cultural Center. Santiago, Chile.
2015-16 Group Exhibition, Artespacio Gallery, Santiago, Chile.
2015 XXXVIII National Painting Salon of Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar Casino, Chile.
2015 XXXVII Young Artist National Competition, El Farol Gallery, Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.
2015 ‘Balones Copa América', Illustrious Room, Municipality of Valparaíso, Chile.
2015 Online group exhibition ‘The Saatchi Gallery/Deutsche Bank Art Prize’, London, UK.
2014 IB International Baccalaureate, Visual Arts Higher Level, Concón, Chile.
2010 Postal Art 'La Crisis Mundial ¿otro mundo es posible?' Ciudad de Ceuta Museum, Spain.
2009 National Arts Competition 'Agatha Ruiz de la Prada', Parque Arauco. Santiago, Chile.
2007 Coopeuch Foundation, National Council of Culture, Valparaíso, Chile.
2006 National Arts Competition, Coopeuch Foundation, Santiago, Chile.