Ana Mendieta, the Immigrant Who Turned Her Body Into an Art Medium
Anastasiia Kirpalov, The Collector
September 2026
Cuban-American artist Ana Mendieta had a dramatically short yet remarkable career. Originally trained as a painter, she moved to performance art and photography in the 1970s. Still, she defined herself mostly as a sculptor who used her own face and body instead of marble or bronze. A particular segment of her oeuvre was her burial art, which included performances and video works in which she posed in ancient tombs or completely immersed herself in earth or water. […]