I grew up in Perú, and I come from an artistic and cultural tradition and history where art is not something exclusive, but rather an integral part of daily life, from its application in utilitarian objects and mystical, religious, and ceremonial imagery to the use of art for political and ideological purposes. For me, artistic practice is not solely focused on individual and isolated pursuits, but rather on how the work aligns with a collective creative thought process that involves individuals, communities, and entire nations. My artistic work is a cultural continuation, because the development of culture is a constant work in progress. My work responds to and explores the contemporary, drawing on my life story, ethnicity, and migratory experience, and responding to the socio-political context in which I live.

Creating art is a physical experience that engages all our senses and activates critical thinking, both for the creator and the general public. For this reason, I pay special attention to the elements I use in my artwork, from their symbolism and the history of the material and craftsmanship to their relevance in the current context. This makes my art practice multidisciplinary, allowing me to explore diverse media in relation to the theme I am developing, the audience I am addressing, and the impact I seek to achieve by showing the artwork to the public.

I’ve lived in the United States for over 25 years, and being an immigrant artist isn’t a label for me; it’s a matter of activism and commitment, as I advocate for multiculturalism. A safe community, a prosperous nation, is the result of contributions and consensus.

A country’s wealth lies in its diversity at every level, not in the intolerance among its inhabitants. For this reason, I dedicate my artistic research to addressing and exploring sociopolitical issues. In the American context, the art we create as artists from minority, vulnerable, and underrepresented populations isn’t meant to exoticize us, much less contribute to the way public media has stigmatized our people. Our artistic expressions are a representation and a manifesto that we are part of the country and a living culture.

My three decades of work encompass paintings, prints, audio and video pieces, installations, performances, public art, and community art engagement. I also include my role as an art educator in all of this; we play a vital part in sustaining culture, and our educational work deserves recognition in the same way we acknowledge artwork. My vision of art will always be political, but it doesn’t define what art is or its function. The outcome of my research only exists when I present my artworks to the general public. When I am not present next to them, it is the artwork itself that is alive, engaging, and challenging the audience. The people are the ones who give the final touch to an art piece. That is the glorious moment of art, because a critical link happens in the eternal thread that is artistic creation. We are here, connected and alive.

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