Artist Statement:

“in the making” speaks to the creative process, something I find incredibly hard to talk about much less explain. It is a mystery to me and I hope it remains that way. My attempts to create come with struggles, difficulties, many failures, and countless attempts. It is not easy, however, I continue. There is no other choice for me. It is my hope that this ongoing installation visually captures something of my creative process.

Photo by Claire Tatum

Bio:

Mario Petrirena is a Cuban born American artist living and working in Atlanta. He was born in Cuba in 1953 and came to the United States in 1962. Petrirena attended the University of Florida receiving his BA in Fine Art in 1977. He attended graduate school at Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsman. He has been a visual artist for over 20 years, working in a variety of mediums including collage and clay. Petrirena is the recipient of several awards including the 2006 Pollock Krasner Grant. He has exhibited widely, nationally and internationally. His work is included in several museum collections including The High Museum of Art, Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, The Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, and in numerous corporate and private collections. He is represented by Sandler Hudson Gallery, Atlanta, GA. Last year, Mario Petrirena was the artist-in-residence at the Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art.

Photo by Claire Tatum