From Mexico to Lake Mac – art journey set to continue with Open Studios weekend

From city walls in Europe and Mexico to a suburban studio in Lake Macquarie, art has taken Goya Torres around the globe and back again.

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Now the Mexican-born street artist is set to open her doors to the community as part of Lake Macquarie City Council’s first Lake Mac Open Studios instalment for 2021.

Held the weekend of 5-6 June, Open Studios will see almost 40 local artists open their studios to the public and share their creative processes.

Torres, who has spent the past 10 years in Australia but only recently settled in Lake Mac, said the weekend was a chance to meet the community and connect with other people who shared her passion.

“What I love about art - it’s basically a way of living for me,” she said.

“I don’t really see it as a job, definitely not as a hobby and probably not even as a profession. It’s probably just something I do, like I eat or I breathe.”

Torres’s works vary from giant murals painted on walls throughout Europe and Central America to delicate lino cutting prints no bigger than a dinner plate.

“A lot of the work that I do, a lot of people say that it brings them quite a bit back to my roots, which is Mexican heritage,” she said.

“However, I try to implement quite a bit of Australian into it, probably with the themes and the scenes as well.”

Council Lifelong Learning and Engagement Coordinator Jess Dowdell said the popularity of previous Open Studios weekends demonstrated the community’s desire to learn more about art and support Lake Mac artists.

“This is a chance to meet artists, learn about the creative process and purchase unique artworks to take home,” she said.

Go to lakemac.com.au/openstudios for information.