Manuela Solano's 'Alien Queen / Strange Paradise' at Museo Tamayo Explores Pop Culture Through Blind Artist's Vision
Manuela Solano, a Mexican artist, is showcasing her most extensive exhibition, 'Alien Queen / Strange Paradise,' at Museo Tamayo in Mexico City until 4 January. The exhibit comprises 36 paintings that reinterpret famous pop culture figures, such as Karen O in 'Karen O’s Hands or Maps (2025)' and Christina Aguilera in 'Dirrty (2024).' After losing her vision at 26 due to an HIV-related infection, Solano collaborates with a team to produce her art. Relocating to Berlin in 2019 has further fueled her artistic development. Her past shows include 'Ancestry (2022)' in London and 'Blind Transgender with AIDS (2014)' in Mexico City. Currently, she is working on a new series titled 'Blind Transgender and Wild (2024–)' and promotes accessibility on Instagram.
Key facts
- Manuela Solano's exhibition 'Alien Queen / Strange Paradise' runs at Museo Tamayo in Mexico City through 4 January.
- The show includes 36 canvases featuring reinterpretations of pop culture figures like Karen O, Christina Aguilera, and the Alien Queen.
- Solano lost her sight at age 26 over ten years ago due to an HIV-derived infection.
- Her creative process involves a team of five people and detailed verbal descriptions to produce tactile outlines on canvas.
- Solano studied at La Esmeralda art school in Mexico City in the 2000s and moved to Berlin in 2019.
- Previous exhibitions include 'Ancestry (2022)' at Carlos/Ishikawa in London and 'Blind Transgender with AIDS (2014)' at Museo Carrillo Gil and Galería Karen Huber.
- She cites influences like performance artist Divine David (David Hoyle) and pop culture from the late 1980s to early 2000s.
- Solano uses Instagram to provide accessibility features like alt-text for the disabled community.
Entities
Artists
- Manuela Solano
- Karen O
- Christina Aguilera
- Divine David
- David Hoyle
- Violet Chachki
- Sinéad O'Connor
- Avril Lavigne
- Cher
- Fairuza Balk
- David Bowie
- Michael Jackson
- Débora Delmar
Institutions
- Museo Tamayo
- Carlos/Ishikawa
- Museo Carrillo Gil
- Galería Karen Huber
- La Esmeralda
- ArtReview
- Disney
- Nickelodeon
- Mattel
- Blender
- Tumblr
Locations
- Mexico City
- Mexico
- Berlin
- Germany
- London
- United Kingdom
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- São Paulo
- Brazil
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Miami
- United States
- Madrid
- Spain
- Satélite