“I am an artist who investigates the ethical connotations of invisible labor and craft in the architectural landscape, using a range of approaches including drawing, prints, books, and sculptural installations.

My most recent works portray architectural surfaces in transitional spaces—pavement on urban sidewalks, intricate patterns in masonry, and worn tiles on vestibule floors. My work results in detailed, hand-printed reconstructions of these subjects, which highlight the existing formal elements of these surfaces. Sometimes, this work is site-specific, installed or displayed in the same space as the original surface. My printed copies often blend in with their surroundings through color, illusion of shadows, and strategic placement.

I believe that the subjects I choose are significant without any intervention. They are the product of meticulous craftsmanship, enduring daily use by countless, often anonymous, individuals. Brick patterns, inconsistent patterns, cracks in material, patched areas, debris, and worn paint serve as quiet testimonies to the ongoing cycles of construction, use, and repair. These elements reappear in my printed copies, where I isolate them from their usual surroundings to provide them with a more prominent presence in the work.

My work begins with careful observation in shared, architectural spaces. I photograph these spaces, capturing their essence to use as a foundation of my reproductions. My own time and artistic labor that I devote in these prints reflect the very real craftsmanship that went into the creation of these original environments.”

Biography:

Nina Montejano is an artist from San Diego, California, working across the disciplines of drawing, photography, and print. She has exhibited her work in California and New England, and her pieces are included in the University of San Diego Print Collection and the City of San Diego Civic Art Collection. Montejano earned her Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA) and a Bachelor of Arts in architecture and visual arts from the University of San Diego. She recently completed a Post-Graduate Teaching Fellowship at SMFA at Tufts, where she taught Relief Print and Book Arts. She has also taught drawing and printmaking at Endicott College.

To contact, please email ninaimontejano@gmail.com