Mirentxu Ganzarain is an interdisciplinary artist based in Chicago, IL. Originally from Chile, her academic background includes Pre-Medical studies, Fine Arts and Latin American Literature. She received her MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute.

Mirentxu grew up fascinated by tide pools along the shores of the Pacific ocean and was always curious about her father's medical illustration books. Stories of magical realism from Latin American literature revealed a world where reality coexisted with fantasy. During her Pre-medical studies she marveled at electron microscope imagery of human cells and other enlarged microscopic forms. This rich background influences her abstract ceramic sculptures, which are often combined with unexpected materials like feathers and faux fur. Her work reflects the body, nature, colonization, mythology and memory. Abstracted scientific imagery of plants, ocean life and magnifications of human anatomy are common sources of inspiration for her work.

Mirentxu's approach to materials is based on the joy of experimentation, intuitive discovery and a sense of play. She uses the body as a conduit for self-connection and a way to expand our experience of the world around us. Her work is a visceral calling that pulls at our senses and evokes the desire to touch.

She frequently returns to figure drawing as a source of inspiration, creating mixed media works or photographs that reflect on the human condition and questions historical representations of women.

Mirentxu has exhibited nationally and internationally including group shows at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City, the Chicago Cultural Center and the Museum of Science and Industry of Chicago. One of her large Photo and Encaustic pieces is part of the Illinois Artists permanent collection at McCormick Place in Chicago. Her most recent one person exhibit, “Humans, Spirits and Power” was presented at the University of Chicago’s Corvus Gallery in June of 2022. Several of her sculptures and drawings reside in private collections.