Artist
Bethenie Carriaga
Bethenie Carriaga (b.2001) is an artist from Yate, Bristol and the Philippines. Through paintings, prints, and collages, Bethenie explores themes of home, belonging, and the cyclical process of growing up.
Drawing from queer ecology, magic, and folk tales tied to land justice, anti-war and anti-colonial movements, Bethenie advocates for a 're-enchanting,' 're-wilding' or 're-witching' of land through their work. Often using found materials, they adorn yellowed or worn surfaces with landscapes and animals, processing thoughts about desire and death, and catholicism and animism. Characters such as moths, sheep, chairs, flowers and hillsides often feature in their work.
After completing their BA at Brown University in the US, Bethenie went on to study Visual, Material, and Museum Anthropology MSc at Oxford University. Since graduating, their work has featured in exhibitions across the UK and the US, and their first solo show was held in December 2024.
"I feel immensely fortunate and excited to be included in ‘The Living Mountain’ alongside such fabulous artists. This collection, in correspondence with Nan Shepherd’s words, is entirely about processing the relentless awe that I feel from being outside and witnessing all the beings that fly, sway, crawl, slither, and live and die around me."
