Even though a lot of her sculptures are very graphic in nature, I am completely drawn to them.
This is the first West Coast exhibition by the U.S.-based Peruvian artist Kukuli Velarde, who was born in Cusco in 1962 and moved to the U.S. in 1988. The Plunder Me, Baby ceramic sculptures evoke a childhood memory that has haunted Velarde, of hearing her 16-year-old nanny declare ìI donít speak Quechuaî (the language of the Inca) in an attempt to hide her indigenous roots. To challenge this racism, Velarde creates personal and sometimes confrontational ceramic sculptures which are based on the traditional forms and surface decorations of Pre-Columbian ceramics but include the artistís own image and reference her indigenous ancestry.
See my additional photos of her work by clicking on this link.
