Miyo Stevens Gandara
Utopia/Dystopia (diptych), 2019
Reduction linocut, ed. 60
15 x 11” - each

From the Utopia/Dystopia Portfolio Project

Individual print: $250
Pair of prints: $400

Miyo Stevens-Gandara’s Utopia/Dystopia was created in part of the “Utopia/Dystopia” portfolio, curated by the artist herself. Miyo invited 26 artists to each pick two cards from a full deck, incorporating a diverse range of interpretations and ideas into a single, unified collection. Here, Miyo uses her own photo of Sequoia National Park to depict a forest devoid of life. 

As a Los Angeles based artist, Miyo uses a variety of media to address the role of community values on environmental and social consequences. She believes that through people’s failure to recognize the outcomes of their decisions, many have prioritized short-term gratification over long-term well-being. Therefore, through her work she aims to establish a mindfulness that resituates people within their environment to maintain connectedness with the world and each other. 

In addition to environmental degradation, Miyo also explores cultural themes such as ancestry, migration, and feminism. Receiving her BFA from the California College of the Arts, and her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts, she continues to be fully engaged with her community. Not only does she teach photography at Rio Hondo College, but she is involved in nonprofit arts outreach as well. Additional pieces of her work can be found in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Latin American Art, Riverside Art Museum, and other private collections, both in the U.S. and internationally.