A Journey into the Shadows. 2022-2026
Based on forced displacement and immigration and using tridimensional cutout drawings and different sources of light and shadows, this body of work is an exploration into the practice of drawing, addressing this practice in ways that expand its traditional limits.
Using formal elements of drawing, the 3D works depict walking individuals, which with lights, cast overlapping shadows that create masses of unrecognizable crowds, presenting a flexible, alternative world that can be modified, drawn and redrawn.
A Journey into the Shadows uses Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” as a concept devised by the philosopher to think deeply about the nature of belief versus knowledge. It urges us to look beyond, to see the light, to free ourselves from the darkness, and to help others in this process.
Memories Past and Present. 2021
Memories Past and Present, a series of drawings product of the observation —from the distance— of the increasing manifestations of dissent in Colombia (and the rest of the world) in recent times. The work is a survey of the history of the sociopolitical separation in my home country and a reflection on its effects in present times.
Created from archival photographs of historical events from the 1940s and 1950s, these works are made with acrylic on different types of papers, using the halftone technique that simulates continuous-tone imagery through the use of dots, varying in size and spacing, thus generating a gradient-like effect. The result, is an abstract image at a close look that becomes clearer and takes form as the viewer gets farther from it. This works a metaphor of watching the current situation of my own country from outside.
Several works in this series have been created as diptychs or triptychs, denoting the dividing gap in our society that has subsisted since ancient times but has recently become more evident.
Places
I am deeply influenced by the places I have visited and lived in. Each location holds a special significance for me, evoking memories and emotions that are unique to that particular place. Through “Places”, I seek to capture these memories and emotions, using cutout mat board to represent the physical spaces that have helped to shape my identity.
The process of creating these pieces is both meditative and cathartic. As I work, I am transported back to the place that informed the piece, reliving the memories and emotions associated with that location. Each piece is a tribute to the power of place, and to the ways in which our surroundings shape our experiences and memories.
With this work, I hope to encourage viewers to reflect on their own experiences with place, and to consider the ways in which our surroundings impact our lives. Whether we are exploring new locations or revisiting familiar ones, the places we inhabit have the power to shape our memories and our sense of self. My art seeks to honor this power, and to celebrate the beauty and complexity of the world around us.
In Memoriam Life Goes on
The project In Memoriam explores our tenacious struggle for scopes of normality within unusual hostile situations. This body of work is based on the November 6th, 1985 events of The Palace of Justice siege in Bogota, Colombia.
The project is composed of 3 different bodies of work.
The series In Memoriam, Life goes on, is a group of 28, 11×11 inches, pencil on paper drawings made to be displayed in a grid. They are based on footage of local news covering the event live that day. These works resembling a storyboard, illustrate the simple action of feeding pigeons. The drawings render a man in an empty space, eliminating additional details, distancing us yet further from the idea of the objective truth, they can offer us no more than a fragment of reality recalling a faded memory, focusing the attention on the person’s action.
Still Missing, is a group of 6, 24×24 inches in diameter, plexiglass and wood circles portraying the people still missing since the violent seizure of the Supreme Court.
The video In Memoriam conveys some known facts of the event, using animated text and sound. It includes quotes of the transcript from a live broadcasted radio interview with Alfonso Reyes Echandia, president of the Supreme Court at that moment.
CCTV
As an artist, I am fascinated by the way in which surveillance cameras have become ubiquitous in modern society. These cameras are omnipresent, and yet they often go unnoticed by the public. These works seek to draw attention to the use of these devices, highlighting their presence and their impact on our daily lives.
CCTV consists of a small set of ink and pencil drawings related to the widespread increment of surveillance intended to record human behavior in contemporary societies where more CCTV cameras, magnetometers, BioWatch air-sniffers, razor wire, concrete fortifications and all the rest of the machinery of security and surveillance have become so much a part of the furniture of life that we barely notice them.
In creating these drawings, I am also exploring the larger themes of surveillance, privacy, and control. By drawing attention to these cameras, I hope to spark a conversation about the ways in which our lives are monitored and controlled, both in public spaces and in the digital realm.Ultimately, this work is a reflection of the world we live in. It is a reminder that even as we go about our daily lives, we are being watched and monitored. Through this series, I hope to instigate a greater awareness of these issues, and to encourage viewers to think critically about the impact of surveillance on our society.