GUILLERMO ARANDA-MENA

  BUILDSCAPE: evocations of place, space and (e)motion Guillermo Aranda-Mena June 2 – 28, 2026 Gallery open hours: Monday – Saturday: 10am – 4pm Sunday: 10am – 3pm Opening event: Saturday, 6 June, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Through a series of vibrant architectural and landscape compositions, Guillermo Aranda-Mena (PhD) explores the emotional and cultural dimensions of built environments. Bringing together Melbourne cityscapes, waterfronts and urban streetscapes, the exhibition creates a dialogue between large figurative watercolour tapestries, abstract acrylic landscapes on hand-made bark paper and miniature three-dimensional maquettes. Drawing from traditions of architectural representation — elevations, plan views and sketch models — the works move beyond isolated depictions to create interconnected spatial narratives that evoke atmosphere, memory and movement. Plein-air sketches, layered abstractions and tactile constructions transform urban and natural spaces into emotional land...

NEO EDEN SG60 – Past, Present and Future of High-Density Cities. Art Exhibition & Lecture by Guillermo Aranda-Mena at Highlight Art Gallery, Singapore | July 9th of July, 2025. As Singapore marks its 60th anniversary this coming Saturday 9th of August, I am honoured to present NEO EDEN SG60—a personal and artistic reflection on green design, planning and architecture of high-density cities. Singapore: Where East Meets West, and North Meets South Singapore stands at a unique crossroads—a convergence of East and West, North and South. It is a city where cultures, climates, and ideas meet, intersect, and transform. This dynamic synthesis makes it an ideal backdrop for imagining a Neo Eden—a new vision for liveable, high-density cities grounded in harmony between nature and urban life. HIGHLIGHT Art Gallery is set in the heart of Chinatown, in a beautifully heritage building. This occasion also marks 20 years of my creative, academic, and teaching journey in Singapore as a Visiting Art...

  Image: Babel Cacophony. Building the Babel tower - across language and cultural 'cacophonies' or hard, discordant mixture of sounds. This painting alludes to the difficulties faced by one of the wonders of the ancient world, Babel's Tower, never completed. The legend stipulates that due the lack of communication. Painting by Dr Guillermo Aranda-Mena, inspired by the idea of regenerative futures and the garden idea, the setting is Keppel Island looking from Southern Ridges Foot Bridge, Singapore. Other aspects to look at in this painting might include: Vertical farms (torres de la derecha, incluyendo sistemas de hydroponics). Eolic energy harvesting through facade membranes. Geothermal piling. Various aspects of biophilia and wellbeing. Guillermo Aranda-MenaⒸ20225

  With Amirah and Will at the recording studio, Melbourne Docklands. Welcome to Science of the Soul, where Dr. Guillermo Aranda-Mena and I traverse through his journey from architecture to art. Dr. Aranda-Mena, a university professor and artist, shares his experiences teaching architecture in Italy, the creative process of his art exhibitions, and how his artwork has reconnected him with communities. Dive into the discussion about the impact of art on mental health, emotional intelligence, and optimizing spaces within workplaces to foster well-being and creativity. We talk about the psychology of space, the role of nature and art, technology and mental health, optimizing workplaces for wellbeing and so much more! We also discuss his book published in 2019 with his colleague Edward Finch called Creating Emotionally Intelligent Workspaces: A Design Guide to Office Chemistry. With anecdotes from his travels and the personal story of his 50 paintings exhibition celebrating each year of...

 Cities in Transformation  Art exhibition by Guillermo Aranda-Mena.  UNESCO HQ Architecture Chair, Mantova, Italy. 2024

"Mi piace la mia città, ma non posso dire cosa mi piace di essa. Non penso che sia l'odore. Sono troppo abituato ai monumenti per volerli guardare. Mi piacciono certe luci, qualche ponte, le terrazze dei caffè. Adoro passare per un posto che non vedevo da molto tempo. Non dovremmo mai essere in grado di spiegare o giustificare la città. La città è lì. È il nostro spazio e non ne abbiamo altri. Non c'è nulla di disumano in una città, a meno che non si tratti della nostra stessa umanità."  George Perec. Questa è la mia città, la mia città adottiva, Mantova. Guillermo Aranda-Mena Me gusta mi pueblo, pero puedo decir lo que me gusta de el. No creo que sea el olor. Estoy demasiado acostumbrado a los monumentos para querer mirarlos. Me gustan ciertas luces, algunos puentes, las terrazas de los cafés. Me encanta pasar por un lugar que hace mucho que no veo. Nunca deberíamos poder explicar o justificar el pueblo. El pueblo está ahí. Es nuestro espacio y no tenemos otro. No ha...