deCERCA Gallery presents the work of Costa Rican artist Nadya M. Aguilar (San José, 1978), whose practice transcends the limits of the canvas to establish painting as a field of energetic, symbolic, and spiritual inquiry. Her work emerges from a meditative process and unfolds as a vital relationship between life and artistic creation, weaving together esotericism, philosophy, and a critical reflection on history and identity.
Aguilar’s presence at Untitled Houston 2025 reinforces deCERCA’s commitment to promoting artists who challenge and expand the boundaries of contemporary art in Central America, while also underscoring the importance of making women’s contributions visible in the reconfiguration of cultural narratives.
Nadya’s paintings are grounded in an exploration of esoteric and philosophical principles, particularly those presented in The Kybalion (1908) and their connection to numerology and the tarot. Her exhibition “13” (2024) marked her return to the art scene after a decade of introspection, consolidating her research into cycles of transformation and renewal. In this series, the number 13—traditionally associated with death—was reinterpreted as a symbol of rebirth and new beginnings.
Her new body of work, “21”, continues this exploration, turning toward harmony, culmination, and regeneration. The number 21, associated with The World card in the tarot, encapsulates the closing of cycles and the opening of new stages. Aguilar integrates archetypes such as The Empress (creation and abundance), The Magician (conscious empowerment), and The Chariot (direction and willpower) to construct a symbolic field where transformation becomes tangible.
Thus, painting is no longer merely image but a living practice: a mirror of the unconscious, a ritual requiring the movement of the entire body, and a vehicle for channeling energy and awareness.
https://www.artsy.net/show/decerca-galeria-decerca-galeria-at-untitled-art-houston-2025
