Momo Magallon

Painter and performance artist based in Panama City, Panama

Momo Magallon (1997, Panama) explores mundane objects and its relationship with space, paying close attention to standardization and the differences within objects. Color, texture, and mark making play an essential role in her artistic process, deviating from a faithful depiction and thus creating an alternate reality. In the words of Milko Delgado, Momo´s point of view “allows the creation of an artistic universe of its own that will be translated into an intuitive working method of extensive series production, where escaping the visual impact of her art - due to its lively combination of elements and materials - is almost impossible.”

In 2019, she graduated from Florida State University with a BFA in Studio Art focusing on painting, she also works in performance, video, and sculpture. Her work has been exhibited both individually and collectively in Central America and the United States. Since 2020, she has been a part of the Panamanian feminist collective Panama Fem Art Coalition (PFAC) as the youngest member of the group. She has been awarded the Susan and Mark Messersmith Art Scholarship, College Leadership Council Six Research and Creative Grant and most recently “el fondo de apoyo a la produccion artistica” from the Contemporary Art Museum of Panama. In 2021 she had her most recent solo show in the Panamanian art gallery ‘Mateo Sariel’ called ‘Adentro’ curated by the artist Milko Delgado.

Photography by Susana Aramburu

Artist Statement

My work investigates mundane narratives, my experience as a young woman, belongingness, space, and place connecting viewer and the material. My gestural technique transcends traditional painting canons focusing on paint as an object and a material that holds as much value as the image being depicted. Through observation, I create unexpected relationships between colors, form, and textures where painting and drawing intersect. My body serves as a vehicle that pushes these orthodox boundaries and further describes the physicality and plasticity of paint. Nature permeates and informs my bold colors making reference to the day to day objects that form portraits of a cosmopolitan tropical upbringing.

Latest Exhibitions

2021     Emancipadas y Empancipadoras

Centro Cultural de España

Guatemala city, Guatemala

2021     Adentro (Solo Exhibition)

Galeria Mateo Sariel

Panama city, Panama

2021     Inferno Tropical

Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo de Costa Rica

Online Exhibition