Wynnie Mynerva’s work, rooted in their upbringing in Villa El Salvador, Lima, draws from personal experiences of violence tied to race, gender and sexuality. Spanning painting, performance and video, their practice explores the body in flux, challenging definitions and constraints. Untitled (Watercolour II) exemplifies this approach, depicting a form that oscillates between abstraction and representation. Referencing historical and mythological iconography while subverting Western Old Master traditions, Mynerva both honours and critiques their classical art education, finding new ways to visualise the complexities of identity and desire.

Wynnie Mynerva, studio view at Fondazione Memmo, Rome. Photo: Daniele Molajoli Courtesy of Fondazione Memmo and the artist.

Wynnie Mynerva (b. 1992, Villa El Salvador, Peru; lives and works in Lima, Peru) works across a range of media, often engaging with themes of identity, body politics and transformation. Recent exhibitions include: ‘My Weaponised Body’, Gathering, London (2024); ‘Presagio’, Fondazione Memmo, Rome (2024); ‘The Original Riot’, The New Museum, New York (2023); ‘Bone of My Bones, Flesh of My Flesh’, Gathering, London (2023); ‘Restraint’, Sargent’s Daughters, New York (2023); ‘Closing to Open’, ARCOMadrid, Madrid (2022); ‘Paradiso’ with Maria Abbadon, Proyecto AMIL, Lima (2022); ‘Desire’, Tube Culture Hall, Milan (2022); and ‘Paper’, Beers London, London (2022).
- Provenance
  Donated by the artist and Gathering, London