Origin- Origen
After several years of working with sport themes I wanted to look at another strong interest of mine - origins, or specifically, the things that define us, make us who we are and influence how we perceive the world. In my case, sports were already a part of who I was, but my family's origins have always intrigued me. I was born in the Amazon part of Peru, but I left there when I was very young. However, my place of birth was always the place were I felt I belonged.
This strong interest turned out to be a project that I call Origen. I decided to start with the place where I was born as a first approach to my origins.This part of the project was done in a three to four year period and consisted initially in many visits to the Ucayali region (were I was born). I wanted to find out what, of all the different aspects of this place, really affected me and defined the way I perceive the world around me -- no matter where in the world I am standing. After many visits, documented with many photographs and sketches, I realized that what stays with me from this region is nature. I noticed that any other place that I had lived in I had always searched for that. This part of the investigation concluded in a series of oil paintings and a ceramics installation. As a parallel investigation about this region I did a thesis, that also influenced my painting and ceramics, on a community that had lived for centuries in this area of the Amazon and that had a strong artistic and pictorial tradition. The community that I choose was the Shipibo – Conibo, two native communities that are in the process of integration. They are one of the strongest ethnic communities in the region, and instead of disappearing they are growing. Their artistic designs are like icons of this part of Peru.
What also made me decide to do this thesis was the fact that in my university, there were no studies of art done by Amazon communities or Amazon people, even though the Amazon area covers over half of the Peruvian territory and there are more than sixty different native communities there. Because Peru is a multi-cultural country I think that there should be more interest in what happens in the Amazon.
I felt the need to do an investigation that justified the inclusion in the curricula of artwork and studies of art done in and by the Peruvian Amazon communities and individuals.
This strong interest turned out to be a project that I call Origen. I decided to start with the place where I was born as a first approach to my origins.This part of the project was done in a three to four year period and consisted initially in many visits to the Ucayali region (were I was born). I wanted to find out what, of all the different aspects of this place, really affected me and defined the way I perceive the world around me -- no matter where in the world I am standing. After many visits, documented with many photographs and sketches, I realized that what stays with me from this region is nature. I noticed that any other place that I had lived in I had always searched for that. This part of the investigation concluded in a series of oil paintings and a ceramics installation. As a parallel investigation about this region I did a thesis, that also influenced my painting and ceramics, on a community that had lived for centuries in this area of the Amazon and that had a strong artistic and pictorial tradition. The community that I choose was the Shipibo – Conibo, two native communities that are in the process of integration. They are one of the strongest ethnic communities in the region, and instead of disappearing they are growing. Their artistic designs are like icons of this part of Peru.
What also made me decide to do this thesis was the fact that in my university, there were no studies of art done by Amazon communities or Amazon people, even though the Amazon area covers over half of the Peruvian territory and there are more than sixty different native communities there. Because Peru is a multi-cultural country I think that there should be more interest in what happens in the Amazon.
I felt the need to do an investigation that justified the inclusion in the curricula of artwork and studies of art done in and by the Peruvian Amazon communities and individuals.
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