Bio

AIXA PORTERO

Malaga, 1975

A Spanish visual artist from Malaga and Doctor in Fine Arts at the University of Granada, she completed her degree studies at the Sint Lukas Hoger Instituut in Brussels, Belgium. She completed a Third Cycle of Advanced Studies in Plastic Research at L’École Supérieure d’Art Visuel de Genève in Geneva, Switzerland. Subsequently she did a Postgraduate Programme at the Piet Zwart Institute, Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, Holland. She was a research artist in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of California, San Diego, USA. In which he carried out a large part of his research, which resulted in his doctoral thesis in 2006, with a European mention from the University of Granada.

She is a professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Granada and a collaborating member of the Institute for Peace and Conflict at the same university. She has collaborated as artistic director in projects of Women Together, a DPI (Department of Public Information) of the United Nations and several of her exhibitions have been endorsed by the Federation of Unesco Clubs of Spain.

From an introspective, philosophical and poetic point of view, his work deals with the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence, and argues that culture is deeply rooted in Mother Nature. His work belongs to important art collections in Latin America and Spain. Her artistic career includes individual exhibitions such as El bosque ilustrado – San Juan Monastery, Burgos, Spain (2022); Alicia a través de la raíz – Women’s Viewpoints Biennial. Women’s Museum, San José, Costa Rica (2022); Pax Natura – CAC, Malaga, Spain (2021), Natura Root – La Cometa Gallery, Bogotá, Colombia (2019); The roots of flight, NEFT_B Project / The Root, Belarusian Embassy in Spain, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Minsk, Belarus (2018); The Root, Museum of Contemporary Art, Vitebsk (Belarus) and Tzibi Pax at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Querétaro MACQ, Mexico (2024-2025).

In her artistic career linked to the professional world, her work in 2022 as illustrator of the complete book, La Alhambra, by Manuel Mateo Pérez, from the book collection of the prestigious publishing house Tintablanca, imprint of Tiempo de Letras S.L. “A Tintablanca book is a small work of art. It combines literature, culture, history and illustration”. Recently awarded by the Ministry of Culture for her drawings and paintings, in the category “Art Books”, with the “Prize for the Best Edited Books of 2022”, with the jury’s assessment: “Original work that provides a good presentation with excellent illustrations. A game of dialogue with the reader”.

Recently, she has also been awarded the 2024 Banderas de Andalucía Prize by the Government Delegation of the Junta de Andalucía in Málaga, on the occasion of the 28th of February (Andalusia Day), in the Arts category for her career as an audiovisual artist.

ACADEMIC TRAINING

2006. PhD in Fine Arts (European Mention). University of Granada, (Spain).

2003 – Present. Member of the Peace and Conflict Institute. University of Granada, (Spain).

2002-2003. University of California, San Diego, Department of Visual Arts, PhD Visiting researcher UCSD, (USA).

2001-2002. Postgraduate Piet Zwart Institute Fine Arts Program of the Willem de Kooning Academy, Rotterdam, (The Netherlands).

1999-2000. Postgraduate in Art Plastic Research at École Supérieure d’Art Visuel de Genève, Geneva, (Switzerland).

1998. Fine Arts Graduate, Sculpture and Painting. (Sculpture specialty in 1998 and painting specialty in 2003), University of Granada, (Spain).

1997-1998. Completion of studies (Honourable Mention) in Sint-Lukas Hoger Institut. Brussels, (Belgium).

COMPLEMENTARY ACADEMIC TRAINING

2022. Master’s Degree in Professional Photography. ESDESIGN Higher School of Design of Barcelona and Polytechnic University of Valencia. Barcelona, (Spain).

WORKS IN COLLECTIONS

Santander Bank.
ABC newspaper.
Contemporary Art Collection, University of Granada.
Zaballos Foundation Collection.
Unesco Malaga Collection.
Fundación Málaga Collection.
Manuel Mateo Pérez Collection. Provincial Museum of Jaén, Spain.
Private collections from Latin America and Spain.
Patronage of the Alhambra and Generalife Collection.
Miguel Hernández Literary Legacy Foundation (FLLMH).

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2024-2025. Tzibi Pax. Querétaro Museum of Contemporary Art MACQ, Santiago de Querétaro, (Mexico).
2024. Stardust, a universal poem. Isolina Arbulu Gallery, Marbella, (Spain).
2022. The Illustrated Forest. Monasterio de San Juan, Burgos, (Spain).
2022. Alice through the root. Museum of the women of Costa Rica.
2022. Radices Pacis. The Empírica, Granada, (Spain).
2021. Pax Natura. CAC Malaga. La Coracha, Museum and Center of Contemporary Art of Malaga (Spain).
2019. The voice of the three. Isolina Arbulu Gallery, Marbella, (Spain).
2022. Natura Root. Art Gallery La Cometa, Bogotá (Colombia).
2019. PATH, ArtVilnius T9, International Contemporary Art Fair, Vilnius, (Lithuania).
2018. The Root . Museum of Contemporary Art, Vitebsk, (Belarus).
2018. The Root (Project NEFT_B / The Root). National Museum of Contemporary Art, Minsk, (Belarus).
2015. Hypsipyle’s vers. Sala Zaida, Caja Rural de Granada Foundation, (Spain).
2013. Minimum Death. Debía Art Gallery, Bubión, Granada, (Spain).
2004. Innocence of Dis-Counts. Euskalduna Palace of Arts and Music. Bilbao, (Spain).
2003. Sales on Innocence. Carmen de los Mártires Palace Museum, City Hall of Granada, (Spain).
2003. Innocent. Herbert Marcuse Art Gallery. San Diego, (USA).
2002. Multiplicity-Individualcity: Installation. Bisel Art Gallery, Cartagena, Murcia, (Spain).
2001. Multiplicity-Individualcity: Photography. Laberinto Art Gallery. Granada, (Spain).
1999. Trans-Appearances. Palacio de los Condes de Gabia. Room B. Provincial Council of Granada, (Spain).

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION)

2023. Malaga Photography 2025. Imagen Collective, Andalusian Federation of Photography. Malaga (Spain).
2023. To Miguel Hernández. Contemporary Creation. Miguel Hernández Literary Legacy Foundation. Arab Baths Cultural Center, Villardompardo Palace. Jaén, (Spain)
2023-2024. Green Christmas. El Retorno de Lilith Gallery. Malaga, (Spain).
2023. Dialogues, Aixa Portero & Enrique Brinkmann. The Anteroom of the Ateneo, Malaga, (España).
2023. Drifts. Ateneo of Malaga and Malaga City Council. Malaga, (España).
2023. ARCO 2023. Evento sala vip de Teresa Sapey. Madrid, (España).
2022. The stare untied. Manuel Mateo Pérez Collection. Museum of Jaen
2022. A slap back. The Yellow House, Malaga.
2021. ESTAMPA Art fair. Isolina Arbulu Gallery, IFEMA, Madrid (Spain).
2020. Lockdown’s Postcards. Yolanda Ochando Gallery, Malaga (Spain).
2019. Matria. Carmen Jiménez Building. La Zubia, Granada (Spain).
2019. Encountres. Foundations and Art & Culture Without Borders. Katara Cultural Village, Doha (Qatar).
2019. Bauhaus. 100 years after the total revolution of a language. ARTSevilla´19. House of the Province, Seville (Spain).
2019. Untitled. DDS Gallery, Madrid (Spain)
2019. Dracula x Dracula. Juan Miguel Quiñones Project. Valentín de Madariaga Foundation, Sevilla, (Spain).
2019. ArtMarbella. Internacional modern and contemporary Art Fair. USC Gallery Miami (USA). Marbella, (Spain).

2019. Black Heart, White Heart. Showroom. Town hall of Alhaurín el Grande, Malaga, (Spain).
2019. A violet door. Carmen Jiménez Building. La Zubia, Granada, (Spain).
2018. Natural Selection. Exhibition Hall, Royal Hospital Building, (Spain).
2018. Some places of the painting. Approaching María Zambrano. Showroom. Moroccan Hispanic Center. Malaga, Spain).
2016. Beauty, Exhibition Centre, City Council of Benalmádena, Málaga, (Spain).
2016. Time for Light, Municipal Heritage Museum, Málaga, (Spain).
2016. Art is the Model, Museo de Arte de la Diputación (MAD), Antequera, (Spain).
2015. Downloading, poetry and new artistic practices. Ateneo Cultural Centre, Málaga, (Spain).
2015. Beauty, Museo de Arte de la Diputación (MAD), Antequera, (Spain).
2015. Beauty. La Térmica, Centre for Contemporary Culture, Malaga Deputation, (Spain).
2014. Ill Festival of Women’s Looks. MAV, Granada, (Spain).
2013. Of Stories. Interactive installation. BITAMINIC Collective. White Night in Avilés. Asturias, (Spain).
2012. A-time, Interuniversity artistic show (international) : “Invisibles” Jaén, (Spain).
2012. Des-tiempos. Interactive installation. Black Night, Avilés. Asturias, (Spain).
2012. The Others. Interactive installation. BITAMINIC Collective. CMAE Municipal Art and Exhibition Centre, Black Night, Avilés. Asturias, (Spain).
2011. The Piano of the Poor. BITAMINIC Collective. White Night, Málaga, Málaga City Hall, (Spain).

2011. Performance ODEPS, Casa Invisible, Málaga, (Spain).
2007. Ultramar, Embassy of Spain, Havana, (Cuba).
2005. Max Matógrafo. Department of Culture of the Santa Fe City Council. Granada, (Spain).
2005. The Colours of the Earth. Art against the fence of death. Official College of Architects of Granada, (Spain).
2004. Granada Art Today. Municipal Showroom of the Gran Capitán Cultural Centre. Granada City Hall, (Spain).
2004. Granada Art Today. Municipal Showroom of the Gran Capitán Cultural Centre. Granada City Hall, (Spain).
2003. 9th Floor. 8601 Wilshire. Los Angeles, California, (USA).
2003. Hotel IARTE. Seville, (Spain).
2002. 24 Hours. Roem Gallery. Rotterdam, (The Netherlands).
2002. 24 hours_HortusLudi. Marres Centre for Contemporary Culture, Maastricht, (The Netherlands).
2002. 30 x 30. Laberinto Gallery. Granada, (Spain).
2002. Hotel IARTE. Sevilla, (Spain).
2002. Alonso Cano Awards. Crucero del Hospital Real. University of Granada, (Spain).
2002. Arterofilia, Sandunga Art Gallery. Granada, (Spain).
2001. Artexpo. Firad’Art of Barcelona. Art Emergent, Laberinto Gallery. Barcelona, (Spain).
2000. Project Ailleurs, Mire art Contemporain. Uni Mail, Université de Genève, Geneva, (Switzerland).
2000. Outiding Outsiders Outside Story Inside City. Sous-Soul Gallery. Geneva, (Switzerland).