My art practice is closely tied to and informed by my Peruvian roots. I rely heavily on imagery, patterns, and palettes from my childhood as well as recent travels and research around my country of origin.
I have produced a self-portrait as Santa Rosa de Lima (the patron saint of Peru) and my series Punky Llama Party depicting South American camelids (llama, alpaca, guanaco, and vicuña) interrogates the various semiotic associations that are tied to those animals (for example, Incan royalty wore vicuña fur garments and vicuñas appear on the Peruvian coat of arms, but today the term is a pejorative; synonymous with ‘cholo’ or Indian, highlighting a virulent anti-Indigenous undercurrent in contemporary Peruvian culture).
My most recent body of work, Maimantataj Kanki? (Quechua for “Where are you from?”) is inspired by traditional Andean “aguayos", rectangular woven textiles used by the indigenous people to keep warm and to carry all manner of burdensome loads from groceries to children. Though the designs are inspired by traditional Andean textiles (commercially made, never from living designers), the distinct straw marquetry technique I employ stems from my time as an assistant to the French artist, Paulin Paris.
I use the “ribbons” created from the straw to draw patterns and create an illusion of woven tapestries. The final textile-like image invites the viewer to imagine caressing the colorful surface, a celebration of indigenous design and European ingenuity.
Throughout these investigations I seek to reclaim and reconcile my identity and pride on a heritage that has been fragmented due to immigration, assimilation and finally colonization.