Samantha Ortiz is a Brazilian-American visual artist working with the intersection of fine art and slow clothing. Her work uses a wide variety of media including spinning, knitting, painting, writing and others. Exploring the power of human form and the feminine spiral healing frequency, Ortiz partners with active meditation in the process of hand spinning to take it from plant based fibers to yarns to garments to sculptures. Fibers and found objects translate the spiritual and the aesthetical engagement of the process in interactive installations, sculptures and objects to wear or to hold.
In 30 years working with visual art, Ortiz had her work exhibited at Venice Biennial Art, have done lectures, workshops and exhibitions in Art Museums, Art Galleries, Design Stores and Art Institutions in Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain), Valparaíso (Chile), Indianapolis, New Orleans and New York (USA) and many cities in Brazil.
CV
1993-1995 Fine Arts at FAAP (Faculdade Armando Álvares Penteado/Armando Alvares Penteado Foundation).
1996-1998 Textile Design at ESMOD (École Supérieure des Arts et Technique de la Mode/Graduate School of Fashion Arts and Techniques).
1993-Today Studied Fine Arts at FAAP College (Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado/Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation), Textile Design at ESMOD (École Supérieure des Art et Technique de la Mode/College of Art and Fashion Textile Techniques), Painting (oil, acrylic, watercolor), Natural Dyeing, Photography, Drawing, Spinning, Knitting, Batik, Shibori, Pojagi, Wood and Metal Engraving, Lithography, Patchwork & Quilting and Contemporary Jewelry. Other areas of studying include The I Ching (Philosophical Taxonomy of the Universe), NgalSo Tantric Self-Healing Meditation (Tibetan Buddhism) from Lama Gangchen Rinpoche, The Secret Doctrine (Synthesis of Science, Religion and Philosophy) from Helena Blavatsky and Reiki The Usui System of Healing (Japanese Healing Art) from Mikao Usui.
EXHIBITIONS
2010 'Lentes' Painting Exhibition at Livraria da Vila, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2013 Slow Clothing at Cavalo de Pau, Lisbon, Portugal.
2013 Slow Clothing at Histórias na Garagem, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
2013 Installation Art at MUBE (Museu Brasileiro de Escultura/Brazilian Museum of Sculpture) with ‘A Caixa de Pandora’ (Pandora’s Box), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
2014 'Wait To Be Ready' Painting Collective Exhibition in Venice Biennial of Art for Luciano Benetton project with Imago Mundi in 'Brazil: a Land of the Future', Venice, Italy.
2014 Contemporary Jewelry and Installation at Amoreira Design Store, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2014 Slow Clothing Exhibition at Novo Desenho design store in MAM (Museu de Arte Moderna/Museum of Modern Art), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2014 Slow Clothing Exhibition at Vila 211, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
2014 Slow Clothing Exhibition in the Art Circuit at Casa XX VINTE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2015 Photography and Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition on DW Design Week at Casa Goia, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2015 'From Death To Rebirth' Contemporary Jewelry with Broca Group at Casa E Gallery, Valparaiso, Chile.
2016 Slow Clothing Exhibition at Casa XX VINTE, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2016 'Onze' Art Installation Exhibition with Itinerant Group at Baró Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2016 'Whisper Down The Lane' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition with Broca Group in SNBA (Sociedades Nacional de Belas Artes/National Society of Fine Arts), Lisbon, Portugal.
2016 'From Death To Rebirth' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition with Broca Group at Virgílio Gallery, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
2018 Slow Clothing Exhibition at Art & Design Store Tororó at MCB (Museu da Casa Brasileira/Museum of The Brazilian House), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2018 'Scapular' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition in Tanto Mar at MUDE (Museu de Design e Moda/ Museum of Fashion and Design), Lisbon, Portugal.
2018 'Chest' and 'Elbows' Contemporary Jewelry in 'That Thing That Embraces You' at CCBA (Centro Cultural Brasil-Argentina/Brasil-Argentina Cultural Center) in a partnership with II Latin American Biennial, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2018 'Re-Trato 3x4' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition with Broca Group at Alice Flor Gallery, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
2018 ‘Esse Meu Corpo/This body of Mine’ and ‘Suas Duas Cabeças/Your Two Heads’ Painting Exhibition in The Latin American Contemporary Fine Art Competition at Agora Gallery, New York, USA.
2019 'I Can Tell You Now' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition pin series at Gallery 924, Indianapolis, USA.
2019 'Chest' and 'Elbows' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition in 'That Thing That Embraces You' at Virgílio Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2019 'Anágua' Sculpture Exhibition at Centro Cultural Casa do Brasil (Brazilian Cultural Center House), with WTA 2019 VIII International Biennial of Textile Art, Madrid, Spain.
2019 'Do Millennials Still Like Pink?' Installation in Collective Exhibition at Harrison Center, Indianapolis, USA.
2020 ‘The Other Side of The Window’ Digital Exhibition at The Arts Council of Indianapolis at Gallery 924, Indianapolis, USA.
2021 Collective Exhibition from the selected Brazilian artists in partnership with III Biennial Latin American Contemporary Jewelry Artworks, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2021 ‘Plant Your Feet’ Exhibition at Gallery 924 The Arts Council of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, USA.
2022-2023 ‘The Spider’s Tale’ Exhibition at Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, USA.
2022-2023 ‘I Carry My Loved Ones With Me’ video exhibition on monitor at Indianapolis International Airport, Indianapolis, USA.
2023 ‘Textile Expression: A journey through American Art’ Collective Exhibition at Gallery Flavio Dolce, New Orleans, LA, USA.
2024 ‘Welcome To Your Mind’ the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award exhibition at Gallery 924 in the Indianapolis Arts Council, Indianapolis, USA.
2024 ‘From My Meditation To Your Meditation’ the Herbert Simon Family Foundation Award exhibition at Phoenix Theater, Indianapolis, USA.
AWARDS
2012 'Lado B' Installation Exhibition Award at A CASA (Museu do Objeto Brasileiro/Museum of Brazilian Object), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2014 'Casaco Sem Sobras' Installation Exhibition at MCB (Museu da Casa Brasileira/Museum of the Brazilian House), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2023 ‘Welcome To Your Mind’ received the DeHaan Artist of Distinction Award offered annually and administered by the Indianapolis Arts Council and funded entirely by the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Indianapolis, USA.
2023 ‘From My Meditation To Your Meditation’ received the Creative Risk Fund Award, a project of the Herbert Simon Family Foundation, Indianapolis, USA.
PARTNERSHIPS
2003-2010 Partnership developing Textile Objects for Etel Interiores Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2010-2019 Partnership in creating Slow Clothing for IT Design Store in Tomie Ohtake Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2012-2017 Worked with Broca Group developing Contemporary Jewelry, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2014 Held Painting and Slow Clothing workshop for Art & Design students from UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista/São Paulo State University), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2015 Lecture and Exhibition at UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista/São Paulo State University) for students of Art and Design, Botucatu, Brazil.
2015 Held knitting workshop at Casa Goia, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2015 'Arm' Contemporary Jewelry Performance Project with Nicole UUrbanus where people wore the pieces over London, Netherlands, New York, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam and Austria.
2015 Theater Costume for Leila Pinheiro Concert Tour, many cities in Brazil.
2016 Theater Costumes for Romeo and Juliet from William Shakespeare's play at Casa Goia, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
2016 Theater Costume for Barbara Gancia at Saia Justa TV Show, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
2017 Contemporary Jewelry at Escambo Studio & Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2017 Theater Costumes for Romeo and Juliet from William Shakespeare's play at Casa Goia, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2017 Theater Costume for Leila Pinheiro Concert Tour, many cities in Brazil.
2020 Virtual Live edition of the 2020 Making it IN Fashion Industry Conference ‘Fashion: Art, Entertainment, or Business?’, Indianapolis, USA.
2021 Artworks, Slow Clothing and Amulets at SALA 51, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2023 Evaluated a student of Art and Design thesis from UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista/São Paulo State University), Botucatu, Brazil.
2024 Artist Talk at ‘Exploration of Women in Art’ class at Ivy Tech College, Indianapolis, USA.
2024 Photo Mural from the series ‘Basket’, for the Sidewalk Galleries, Indianapolis, USA.
DESIGN & ART FAIRS
2010 Slow Clothing and Art Installation at Paralela Design Fair, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2012 Interior Design Textile Painting Project, Slow Clothing and Art Installation at Paralela Design Fair, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2013 Slow Clothing Performance at Abit (Associação Brasileira da Indústria Têxtil e de Confecção/Brazilian Association of the Textile and Clothing Industry), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2014 Photographies, Paintings, Slow Clothing, Contemporary Jewelry and Art Installation at Paralela Design Fair, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2017 Exhibition 'From Death To Rebirth' Contemporary Jewelry with Broca Group at MADE (Mercado de Arte Design/Design Art Market), Sao Paulo, Brazil.
2019 'Chest' and 'Elbows' Contemporary Jewelry Exhibition in 'That Thing That Embraces You' at MADE (Mercado de Arte Design/Design Art Market), Sao Paulo, Brazil.