Nubia Ortega
b. 1976 ∙ CE artist since 2003
For over two decades, Nubia Ortega has been creating animated depictions of animals and those she loves through embroideries, ceramics, and works on paper. Regardless of the medium, her creative process is incredibly intuitive, with many any subjects and visual motifs echoing between media. Animals commonly appear in her works on paper, drawn individually from left to right in a patchwork style until the whole page is filled. They are often outlined with small perpendicular “stitches” as if appliqued to the paper and are occasionally filled in with small dashes of many colors, resembling that of a satin stitch. This same dashed visual motif is frequently repeated in her ceramic works, used to illustrate the fur of an animal or the hairs of a beard. Decorative ceramic coils are another distinct embellishment in her ceramic practice, used for the scales of a fish, the headlights of a car, and curls of hair on a mask. Her imagery comes from a personal place and she often talks of family, love, and connection as she works.
In 2023, Nubia Ortega was one of five selected artists to have their work featured on the San Francisco Public Library card. Otega has participated in over thirty group exhibitions and has exhibited work at the Oakland Museum of California and at the Museum of Craft and Design in San Francisco.
Select Exhibitions & Projects
2020
UNTITLED ART FAIR , San Francisco, CA
Mother Nature! at Outsider Art Fair 2020, New York, NY
2018
"From" All Over the Place, 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, San Francisco, CA
Nine Hearts Exploring, Jack Fischer Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Faces and Places in the City, Eureka Valley/Harvey Milk Memorial Library, San Francisco, CA
2016
Tabula Rasa, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Celebrating a Vision: Art and Disability, San Francisco Airport, San Francisco, CA
2015
Tree of Life, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2014
Shoerageous, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
A Curious Menagerie, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2013
San Francisco's Calacas: Day of the Dead, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2012
Fabulous, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2011
Hands on Clay, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
The Masters, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2010
Spectrum, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2009
TV and Me, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2008
INsects INsectos, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2006
Sacred Places, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Vessels, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
2004
Functionable, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
Critters, Creativity Explored, San Francisco, CA
