CULONA POLITICS
JULY 10 - AUGUST 9, 2025
A SOLO Exhibition of works BY KATHERINE SEPÚLVEDA
PRESS RELEASE
CULONA POLITICS
KATHERINE SEPÚLVEDA
JULY 10 - AUGUST 9, 2025
Ruby/Dakota is pleased as punch to announce:
CULONA POLITICS, a debut solo presentation in The Annex, of new paintings by Colombian-American, Queens-based artist, Katherine Sepúlveda.
Culona is Spanish slang. It could be used crassly, like the English “fat-ass,” or in admiration of a beautiful, curvy bottom. It could denote fear or cowardice, and also indicate someone who has good luck and fortune. Katherine’s work plays effortlessly with these paradoxes.
Through larger-than-life, collaged scenes depicting the rich visual culture of femme, Latine identity, Sepúlveda’s work explores themes of heritage, religion, queer hyperfemininity, and generational cycles. Latine maximalist aesthetics are tightly woven together to create “pocket universes,” typically made from acrylic and found material. Sepúlveda’s portfolio examines the manner in which the consumption patterns of impoverished individuals of color are subject to scrutiny.
Katherine Sepúlveda is a multidisciplinary Colombian - American artist based in Queens, New York. She utilizes both painting and installation to create maximalist works featuring representations of queer, hyperfemininity and satirical depictions of her religious upbringing. Her work is informed by personal narratives, often referencing the consumption patterns of working class migrants, family archives, and catholic devotional imagery. Sepúlveda’s works examine
grief and serve as devotional objects in which she searches for a resolution to the perpetual
alienation felt from her heritage, family history, and American identity. Sepúlveda has
participated in solo and group exhibitions in New York, New England, and Baltimore. In 2024,
her solo exhibition, Halloween House, was featured on Hyperallergic’s list of “15 Art Shows to See in New York City.” Sepúlveda received her BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
Please join us at the gallery Thursday, july 10 for an Opening Reception, 6-8PM