On these two pages I present a varied range of the different styles of my artwork. It entails digital and hand made illustrations, paintings and mixed media work (physical and digital). This is a compressed selection from my wider portfolio.
Maize, Blood, Veins, Roots
Photographic collage/ digital illustration
2020
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Maize is a main source of food for a wide population in mainly the Ecuadorian Andes (but also in the rest of the country), especially for Southern Andean Indigenous peoples, who hold it as an important part of their identity and culture.
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Even though my Indigenous roots lie in the Amazon, I was born and raised in the Sierra. As well as having family bonds with Andean Indigenous cultures, growing up in this landscape created a feeling of deep connection, attachment and respect for the mountains, their ecosystem and their people.
In this mix of photography with digital manipulation, I portray the sacredness of maize: The background image depicting purple corn ready to be planted, was transformed into a more complex visual representation by fusing it with a couple of my other photos. I edited them altogether, experimenting with different image manipulation techniques until I felt fulfilled with the result.
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Part of the task of getting the corn ready to plant is to soak it in water for around 3 days. After this, when you get to plant the corn, there's a carnal interaction between you, the seeds and the earth; while doing this, one's hands get messy with the bright purple-red pigment of the pips' juice, which reminds me of pure blood. In this picture I aim to express the colour of the maize as blood and the tangling ribbons - original from a different picture - as veins, roots and/or a mystical symphony and dance that comes out of these magical seeds of life
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The Face of the Underworld
Pencil and fine line pen on paper
2017
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Exploration and experiment: the subconscious part of the brain taking command on the movements of my hand for expressing my unexpected thoughts.
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This illustration came as one of the results of a project around Surrealist Automatism, a method in which the artist allows the subconscious mind to take control over the art making process.
Logo for OFIS foundation
Pen on paper & later on adaptation in Adobe Illustrator
2021
OFIS is a foundation whose purpose is to "support innovative initiatives that promote citizen participation, socioeconomic equity, the exercise of individual and collective rights, environmental protection and rights of nature, intercultural health and gender equality".
Each element in the logo speaks for a core value or principle of OFIS:
-The butterfly's wings -which are also hands- represent freedom and allude to unity, hardwork, cooperation, community, strength and experience.
-The finger prints that complement the wings express the idea of identity and equity.
-The different bright and dark tones and colours symbolize diversity, while the butterfly's body -also a tree trunk- and the veins that are braided inside it reflect our profound connection with nature. They also stand for our roots, especially within the context of our indigenous ancestry.
-The eyes (which are also leaves) speak for perception, insight, the value of each individual's perspective and the importance of having a dialogue - through enabling vision and awareness - that entails, includes and respects all views.
Finally, the butterfly as a whole - one body, one living being but different components necessary for it to exist - represents harmony.
Logo for Jury Jury
Drawing adapted in Photoshop
2021
I created a logo for Jury Jury Cultural and Gastronomic Center based in the Sarayaku community in Sucumbios, Ecuador.
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In my Kichwa culture, Jury Jury is the name of the guardian Spirit of the jungle, one of the most powerful ones that live in the forest. It has one opened eye in the front of the head, which looks onto the physical-tangible worlds, and one closed eye in the back, which looks into the inner-spiritual worlds.
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In this illustration I aimed to represent Jury Jury and their characteristics through symbolism. This is not a complete representation of the Spirit, as it can adopt an infinite number of forms and cannot be labelled and defined in a singular manner.
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In this depiction I have included two mighty animals/spirits - the Jaguar and the Amarun (or boa), as they are considered to be very powerful and influential in Kichwa culture.
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The artistic patterns throughout the face are based on my grandmother's original designs which she applies to her mucawas (ceramics) and facial-body painting for mainly ceremonial purposes.
Photography
Illustrations, paintings & mixed media
