3 Questions for … Blanca Nieto

“3 Questions for…” showcases and promotes the work of upcoming artists in the early stages of their careers. This time I would like to share with you the remarkable works of Blanca Nieto.

The Spanish artist Blanca Nieto (b. 1991, Salamanca) creates abstract, textile compositions that explore the nature of memory and its impact on human existence. Her works consistently navigate a tension between the visible and the invisible, between technique and concept.

Nieto’s artistic approach is based on an organic, introspective process. Beginning with sketches drawn from personal emotions and memories, she constructs her works by layering textiles such as voiles, gauzes, tarlatan, and silk. This is fundamental to the artist, as it reflects the construction and deconstruction of memories, simultaneously revealing and concealing. Each canvas is fragmented and reassembled as a polyptych – this creates a new overall image, similar to how memories from different moments emerge in our minds. Stitching and darning these fragments together are an important part of this process, giving the work a narrative structure. In this way, Blanca Nieto develops a serene, meditative visual language where materiality and transparency become metaphors for time, loss, and continuity.

Her works invite viewers to engage deeply, exploring the subtle surfaces and tonal harmonies, opening a space where the past and the present enter into a quiet dialogue. To gain deeper insight into her work, I had the pleasure of asking Blanca three questions about her artistic philosophy:

Blanca Nieto, Horizonte, 2025, Silk, gauze, tarlatan, cords, and pigment on stretcher frame, 82 x 66 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Horizonte, 2025, Silk, gauze, tarlatan, cords, and pigment on stretcher frame, 82 x 66 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Vernal, 2023, Mixta / collage, 130 x 114 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Vernal, 2023, Mixta / collage, 130 x 114 cm © The Artist

Blanca, what inspired you to become an artist, and how has your artistic expression evolved since then?

My beginnings in art were, in a way, a natural extension of how I see and feel the world. From a very young age, I had a deep connection with manual creation and visual expression. I was always drawn to experimenting with different materials and textures. Beyond academic training, my true beginnings were forged in the need to translate my thoughts and emotions into something tangible.

It was a path of progressive discovery, where each work led me to the next, deepening my personal language and evolving towards textile art as my main medium of expression.

How would you describe your work to someone who has never seen it, and what do you hope viewers take away from looking at your art?

My work focuses mainly on textile art and mixed media. I  use layers of different types of fabric, such as voile, tarlatan, gauze and silk, which allow me to play with transparency, opacity and the creation of layers of colour and texture. I paint directly onto these fabrics with pigments, seeking veiled or intense effects. A recurring element is darning or black thread stitches, which add a tactile and symbolic dimension, connecting the fragments. My works are often polyptychs, where several canvases are joined together to form a larger piece.

I hope viewers take away an invitation to introspection, to go beyond the obvious and to explore the richness that lies in the multiple perspectives of memory. I want my art to invite them to contemplate the beauty and complexity of how we construct and access our own archive of memories.

What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the future? Are there any subjects that you would like to explore further?

Currently, I am immersed in my “Mnemonic” series, where I continue to delve into the nature of memory and its intricacies, exploring how memories intertwine and are stored in our minds.

For the future, my plans include continuing to experiment with new materials and scales within textile art, always seeking new ways to capture memory. I would like to continue exploring the subtle interaction between absence and presence in memory, and how the ephemeral can leave an indelible mark.

I hope viewers take away an invitation to introspection, to go beyond the obvious, and to explore the richness that lies in the multiple perspectives of memory.

Blanca Nieto, Faro, 2024, Silks, gauze, cord and pigment on stretcher frame, 162 x 130 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Faro, 2024, Silks, gauze, cord and pigment on stretcher frame, 162 x 130 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Aseladero, 2025, Silks, gauzes, cord and pigment on stretcher frame, 106 x 178 cm © The Artist
Blanca Nieto, Aseladero, 2025, Silks, gauzes, cord and pigment on stretcher frame, 106 x 178 cm © The Artist

More about Blanca Nieto

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