By taylor jensen/entertainment editor

The new exhibit on South, Un Any A Fora or One Year Outside, is inspired by the meanings behind words and the inner expressions they can invoke.

The artist, Teresa Gomez-Martorell, chosen as the artist-in-residence for the spring semester, is originally from Barcelona, Spain, but has exhibited her work both nationally and internationally.

Traveling creates new mental structures and provides inspiration in the form of different human and natural landscapes, Gomez-Martorell said.

“To travel opens people’s minds,” she said. “I love to work with local objects [and] landscapes that become universal. There are specific objects from specific countries that are inspiring and help us create our personal world.”

Gomez-Martorell said her favorite part of printmaking is utilizing the tools given to her to provide a narrative to different images.

“I am moved about the human condition, what we are and how we express ourselves,” she said. “Many times, I start with an idea, a story or just a word and develop a body of work. Each story has a moral lesson to give.”

Fine arts chair Joshua Goode said he first encountered Gomez-Martorell’s work at an exhibit at Southern Methodist University and was impressed by the mastery of technique in her work.

“It was how much she was able to say with so little,” he said, “how pregnant with emotion her lines can be that captured me then and forever have made an impression upon me. I knew I needed to share her work with our students.”

Gomez-Martorell will lead lectures and workshops all semester while mentoring TCC’s students, Goode said.

“Teresa is not only an exemplary artist. She is an inspiring teacher and powerful mentor,” he said. “[She] is a perfect example of an artist who is able to channel raw human emotions into beautiful vessels that can reach a universal audience, breaking through both cultural and language barriers.”

Gomez-Martorell said for a student who is learning, art can be helpful and open their minds.

“We always gain when we share our knowledge or our art. For me, to share with students is a great challenge,” she said. “I feel that art is a service we do [for] humanity.”

Gomez-Martorell said when anybody asks about her art, she always gives a different explanation.

“There are lots of things that are a part of our way to work,” she said. “Art is vast, and our mouths are limited.”

One Year Outside is on display through Feb. 28 in the Carillon Gallery. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday.