Namz Anil
Catalina Guzmán, who creates under the name Namz Anil, is a visual and sound artist from Bogotá, Colombia whose practice moves fluidly across different mediums, from painting and tattooing to music. Her work creates immersive atmospheres shaped by curiosity and a careful attention to texture and sound.
Her sonic practice brings together spoken word and vocal experimentation alongside digital synthesizers and field recordings. In 2025, she released her EP, Lo que no se ve pero sabemos que existe ("What Goes Unseen, Yet We Know Exists"), built in part from sounds recorded during her time in New York, Palmarí, and Bogotá. The album invites listeners to slow down and listen a little more closely.
We spoke about creating through conversation rather than control, the intimacy of tattooing, and her ongoing curiosity about the things we might miss when we're not paying attention.
From August 5–26, Catalina will be guest tattooing at @thehighpriestessbk in Brooklyn, NY, and performing live on August 5 at @the_living_gallery and August 13 at @a_soft_opening_.
Limited edition cassette copies of Lo que no se ve pero sabemos que existe will be available at both performances, as well as through the Something Else online shop.
How are you feeling coming back to NYC after growing your career in Colombia?
Good, yes! I'm working on a new set of flash tattoos. I've been revisiting old drawings and thinking about how they could become tattoos. I'm also hoping to collaborate with other musicians while I'm in New York. I'm really open to creating with people there.
How would you compare your experience as an artist in Bogotá with New York?
They're similar in the sense that everyone is doing a lot of things at once. Most people have side jobs while also making art. It really depends on the community you're surrounded by. In New York, I feel there are more established spaces and communities for almost everything; it feels more accessible in a way. In Bogotá, there are smaller groups creating independent projects, whether that's fashion, music, or art. That's both the beauty and difficult thing about it. Sometimes there is no money or not enough people who even know these things exist. But it’s beautiful because of that, there’s this big world here, and a lot of opportunity to make something grow.
It feels like in Bogotá, people are so open to collaborating and helping each other. Even when resources are limited, there is this feeling of, "Let's make it happen anyway."
Exactly. It's always like, "I have this, you have that, someone else has something else..." and together you make it possible. Even if there's not enough budget or materials, there's usually a way through the community.
What's been keeping you busy creatively these days?
I've been coming back to music this past year. I played this EP a lot last year, so I needed a little break from it. Now I'm returning with fresh ideas, especially for performing it live. I'm also starting to think about a new EP.
And that was your first EP, Lo que no se ve pero sabemos que existe. How did it begin?
When I first went to New York, I saved money to buy a Zoom recorder because I really liked recording soundscapes. I started recording everywhere, especially around my apartment. There were so many interesting sounds. You could hear the city, but at the same time there were crows outside, and little sounds of nature mixed with everything else. Then I'd go to rivers or lakes nearby and keep recording.
When I came back to Colombia, I went to the Amazon, and the soundscape there was crazy. It was really intense, especially at night, so I felt very inspired by just listening.
Then I started taking Ableton classes so I could put it all together. The field recordings were the foundation of everything, but then I started adding synthesizers, exploring the software, and making sense of it all.
I was also thinking a lot about silence, about being far away in NYC, far from Colombia, and the perspective I had being away from home.
When you say silence, do you mean the silence that comes from being far away from home, or something different?
Both. I really love staying awake late, sometimes until one or three in the morning, because that's when everything becomes quiet. Everyone is asleep, and suddenly you can experience a different kind of silence. When I'm looking for silence, I actually start hearing other things. The second song on the EP comes from that experience.
When you first started recording these sounds, did you already know they would become an EP?
I knew I wanted to create a project, but I didn't know what it was yet. I didn't even know it would become music. At first it felt closer to sound art because my experience was mostly with live performances, not producing music. But once I had those four pieces together, I realized, "Oh... this is actually an EP." From the beginning I also loved the idea of releasing it on cassette. I wanted there to be an analog version alongside the digital one.
When you listen to the EP now, has your relationship with those recordings changed?
Definitely. At first, the recordings themselves felt like the most important part. Now they're still important, but I'm more interested in transforming them. I like breaking them apart so they're not immediately recognizable anymore. I've become much more interested in textures. Lately I've also been working a lot more with loops.
I noticed that you also use your voice like another instrument, another texture. What inspired you to using it in that way?
I’ve always loved singing. Over time I've become really interested in exploring my voice as an instrument. I like using it to create atmosphere and texture. Recently I've also been taking singing lessons, and they've brought up a lot emotionally. It's interesting because you realize the voice isn't just about singing. It connects to the body in much deeper ways. It's been a really beautiful thing to explore.
Who are you taking singing lessons With?
Isabella Cruz. She's the best. Shout out to Isabella. Her classes are really open and based on improvisation. It's one-on-one, and she creates a space where you're free to experiment.
“I've always been interested in the things that exist beyond what we can physically perceive. Things we can't see, but somehow we know they're there. “
- Namz Anil
How did you come up with the title, Lo que no se ve pero sabemos que existe? Did the title come before the music or after?
Afterwards. At first I kept trying to find one word, but nothing felt right. I know it's a long title, but it captured exactly what I was looking for. I've always been interested in the things that exist beyond what we can physically perceive. Things we can't see, but somehow we know they're there. It also connects to being far away from home, from Colombia, from my family. I knew we couldn't physically be together, but somehow I could still feel connected to them. Actually, this reminds me of something that happened because of you. You visited Colombia and, when you came back to New York, you brought me a scarf from my mom. When I smelled it, it smelled exactly like her. So strongly. It felt like she was there with me, even though she wasn't. That feeling... that's what the title means to me. The presence of something that isn't physically there.
That idea of presence beyond the physical also feels really present in your paintings, drawings, and tattoos. They all share this dreamlike, almost mystical atmosphere. How do those different mediums relate to each other for you?
They're very connected. I've always been interested in creating atmospheres. Ever since I started painting, I've been drawn to landscapes and nature, to abstract environments that feel more emotional than descriptive. I think it's very similar to the music I make. I'm not trying to represent something literally, it’s more symbolic, and my music isn't structured like a typical pop song either. It's slower, more atmospheric. With painting it's the same. I'm not looking to be very rational or concrete. I'm more interested in creating a feeling. I think everything I've learned through painting has naturally carried over into my music. I compose in a similar way.
I really like that. It feels like your work isn't trying to explain something as much as invite people into a certain atmosphere.
Exactly. It's a lot about imagination. Imagining landscapes, places, and emotions.
When an idea first appears in your mind, do you already know whether it belongs in a drawing, painting or in a piece of music?
It starts with an initial idea, like a texture, a color, a sound. That's my first brushstroke, whether with painting or sound. From there it becomes a conversation. One thing leads to another, and new ideas begin connecting with each other. When I paint, I really like to dialogue with the painting. She answers me, and then I answer her back. I think it's exactly the same with music.
I love that idea of making conversation. Sometimes you're leading it, and other times the work starts leading you. And when you find a balance… it’s this beautiful thing.
Yes. That's the most magical part for me. Reaching that state where you're completely in flow. Nothing else exists. If I'm painting or making music, it becomes almost hypnotic.
Does that relationship change when you're tattooing?
It's similar, but mostly during the drawing stage. That's the part that feels closest to painting or music. Once I'm actually tattooing someone, it becomes different because it's permanent. It's not a canvas that I can paint over, or a song that I can edit later. It's something that will stay on another person's body. Because of that, I'm much more careful. There's still room to play while I'm designing, especially when I'm combining drawings, mirroring forms, or experimenting on my iPad before the tattoo. But once I'm tattooing, I feel a responsibility toward the person who's trusting me with their body. Of course there are clients who are very open and give me freedom to explore, and those moments are really exciting. But there's still an expectation that I'm creating something they'll carry forever, and I want to respect that.
Since you're working so closely with people's bodies, do you feel that's influenced your other artistic practices?
Definitely. I think the connection is intimacy. Painting is a very intimate conversation with myself. Music is intimate too. Tattooing is different because the intimacy happens between two people. Clients often open up about their lives while I'm tattooing them. I spend a lot of time listening. So it's another kind of listening. When I'm painting, I'm listening to myself and to the canvas. When I'm making music, I'm listening to the instruments, the textures, my voice, the field recordings, even silence. But when I'm tattooing, I'm listening to another person. They're the center of that conversation.
I love how listening seems to exist in every part of your practice, even if it takes a different form. Has making art changed the way you listen and move through the world? The way you notice things around you?
It has definitely opened up a way of navigating the world with curiosity. I know there's something everywhere, always a place for inspiration or something that will connect with something else. This network is always working and synchronizing if you're open to being present and listening. Everything speaks to you when you're in this flow.
Sometimes it can even feel a little crazy! For example, I'll walk in the street at night, look at the shadows and how light hits the dark, and think, "Oh, this could be a tattoo." Or I'll overhear part of a conversation on the bus and quietly listen. I'm always searching for silence too. It all feels connected. There's always another opportunity to become curious.
Is there anything you've been especially curious about lately?
Yeah, I'm interested in shadows. Shadows are really inspiring to me. Also, I’ve been thinking a lot about vibration.
In what way?
I don't completely know yet. I think it's connected to sound, but also to the body. It's something I'm still exploring. I want to investigate it for my next EP, exploring the vibration of sound and my voice, and doing more with drums. Usually, my songs are very atmospheric and melodic, so I would love to explore rhythms.
Finally, with this upcoming trip to New York, what are you most looking forward to?
I'm looking to expand my creativity. Seeing friends and the possibility of collaborating. Meeting new artists. Playing music. Recording new sounds. I'm really open to whatever happens. Music, painting, tattooing. I just want to create.
to contact Namz Anil:
