The Art Scene of Loja Ecuador

All we can say about painter Juan Pablo Zambrano Romero (also known as Zaro) from Piña, north of Loja city, is that he is a world class talent. Details about the artist are not easy to come by but not lacking because he is his own subject. Zambrano's large canvases are an extreme closeup of his face. The works are a tour de force uniting all the important elements of 21st century Realism: figurative, photo real, and most importantly hyperreal. While contemporary realistic figurative painting represents the human form in a world captivated by abstraction, and photorealism aims to beat technology at its own game, hyperrealism alters the image to express the artist's attitude towards the current state of the world. Zambrano's self portraits feature exhaustion, anxiety, fracturing, and most recently suffocation. The latest work shows his panicking face choking under a clear plastic bag. The result is nothing short of electrifying at such close range with every pore, hair, bead ...

ARTIST - Gabriela (Gaby) Jaramillo Soto (1997 - ) Studies plastic arts at Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). Recent exhibitions include "Mizizi" roots Samay Ayapash-soul and spirit (“MIZIZI” RAÍCES SAMAY AYAPASH- ALMA Y ESPÍRITU) and "Ancient Ancestral Art" (Arte Anígena Ancestral) in 2019. Artist quotes: "My art is indigenous-Ancestral and social cut. The proposal I'm finally developing is an ancestral tribute. All that hidden memory, which for some reason is lost, I rescue it. Every proposal becomes autobiographical. I've looked inside of me to find myself. That land is where I grew up and has its story."  "I just know that I give the best of me that I give everything I can and I have, I fight, I effort, someday everything will be worth it." Ñawikuna (Faces)     facebook.com/gaby.soto instagram.com/gabie    

"Gatita de miel" (Honey Cat) ARTIST - Sofía Vivanco   (1997 - ) Recent exhibitions include “Abstraction of sensibility” at the Pittura Gallery (2018), “Imaginarios patrimoniales en el Festival de Artes Vivas de Loja” (2017). "Sin tiempo" (Without time) facebook.com/sofia.vivanco instagram.com/saya00a

ARTIST - Ramiina Peralta Medina   (1997 - ) Studied Plastic Arts and Graphic Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). ramina.pb.gallery facebook.com/profile.Ramiina instagram.com/negritaperalta

"Fragment of my skin" ARTIST - Andrea Estefanía Luna Correa   (1992 - ) Studied Visual Arts and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Her thesis is titled "Fragments. Sensation and experience of a depressive body." Recent exhibitions include the collective art show for the launch of "Se Acabó La Tinta #5" at Howard Johnson's (2018), "Wakán Espiritu/Rara Tangara" 2018, “Expo Mascaras” at Museo del Ministerio de Cultura 2017, “Simbiosis” in La Casa de Manuel 2016. Mask sculpture facebook.com/andrea.luna

ARTIST - Anabel Robles Recent exhibitions include "VI Collective Exhibition Arte-Mujer" 2018 in the Sala Eduardo Kingman , and "Wabi-Sabi" in the Casona Cultural 2018. "Esencia" (Essence) facebook.com/anikaanabel.robles instagram.com/anabel_robles

"Mano Grande" (Big Hands), 1981 ARTIST - Eduardo Kingman Riofrío  (1913 - 1997) Born in Loja, Eduardo is known as "the painter of hands" and was regarded as one of the masters of twentieth century expressionism.   He studied at the School of Fine Arts in Quito, with stops in Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, and in the United States at the San Francisco Art Institute.  Eventually he received a chair at the same institute, was the director of Quito's Colonial Art Museum, and a owned private gallery also in Quito.  While living in Quito, he became the protege of other famous Lojanos like writers Bejamin Carrion and Pablo Palacio.  His lithographs, woodcuts, and paintings concentrated on the social realities of Ecuador's indigenous people.  The artisit's deeply humanistic style captured the range of emotions from anguish, anger, and impotence in the face of injustice, to the quieter feelings of tenderness and devotion.  As well as painting, Eduardo ...

“In - Perfilado” (In Profile) ARTIST - Carlos Fabián Vega Jiménez Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). facebook.com/cfvega blogspot.com/2012/09/hola-amigos behance.net/gallery/70101375/MONOCROMA

Christ the Redeemer ARTIST - Diego Vinicio Espinosa Aguirre   (1970 - ) Studied Fine Art at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). We'll call Diego an "exterior artist" since most all of his works are located outdoors. He creates monuments, murals, busts and stained glass windows using a variety of materials that include copper, bronze, aluminum, fiberglass, ferro cement, cast cement and, of course, glass.  Originally a painter and muralist, he began sculpting in earnest in 1995.  His accessible style has garnered a plethora of public and private commissions in Loja and throughout the country.  It is impossible to tour Ecuador without seeing his work. Quite a few of the artist's monuments are three-dimensional symbols for the cities or towns where they are installed, such as an ear of corn, birds endemic to the area, a giant ant, a pack mule, etc. His busts and statues of famous people include musicians, politicians, clergy, physicians, and even S...

ARTIST - Patricio Vega Arrobo  (1987 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Coordinador and manager at Forjando El Arte, and manages the Book Patch in San Sebastion . Also administrator of the Cromosoma Lunatico  (Lunatic Chromosome) blog about the "art chromosome," a project of the Letra Fuego Art and Culture Collective. Patricio's first passion is poetry and wordsmithing (and especially helping others to get published) but he is also passionate about the visual arts. facebook.com/profile.patricio

"Por la boca muere el pez" (by the mouth dies the fish) ARTIST - Luis Ángel Conza Chuquimarca, aka Conza Luis KtanaAc Bachelor of Fine Arts from Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). Currently owner/manager of the workshop and gallery KSARTE. Lives in Cariamanga, Loja province. According to Dennys Villalta: “Many paintings show characters, animals and even fruits without their protective layer. Conza makes reference to the interior of things, to our equality as individuals, we do not all have the same color of skin, eyes or hair, but we all have an aorta or a sternocleidomastoid muscle. He tears our skin to show our interior without mysticism, only as humans, he removes our masks and arrogates us to the world, he launches us without our armor, without ideologies, without prejudice.” facebook.com/ktla.ac

"Yakumama" (Mother), acrylic on canvas ARTIST - Favio Caraguay From Loja province, now living in Quito. Studied Interior Design and Plastic Arts at Loja Unida. Studied Anthropology and Art at the University of Cuenca and achieved a Master of Visual Arts at the Cuenca University. Currently a profesor at Universidad San Francisco of Quito, and a shamanic artist at Caraguay . Artist's statement: "My artistic work has been characterized at all times by using the languages ​​of drawing, painting and photography. The development of the work arises from having direct contact with the transformations of radical cycles of nature in the dry forest of Mangahúrco and from the approach with the pre-Columbian work of the original peoples of the Paltas." “Homenaje al maestro Manuel Serrano” (Tribute to master Manuel Serrano) facebook.com/CARAGUAYfavio facebook.com/Caraguay instagram.com/caraguayfavio

"Synthesis II" ARTIST - Carlos Valarezo   (1991 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Currently designer, architect and co-manager (with his wife Nelva Reinozo) for Ensamble , and for Valarezo & Reinozo. "Hypnotic Nausea" Wooden lamps (from recycled pallet scraps) facebook.com/clvalarezo instagram.com/carlosvalarezoart instagram.com/valarezo_reinozo valarezoreinozo.blogspot.com carlosvalarezoart.blogspot.com

“Espiral cósmica” (Cosmic spiral) ARTIST - Velp Velp (Victor Lima) Studied Art at Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). General Manager/Owner of CartoneCrafts  (artistic creations, crafts, design, handicrafts and more in cardboard). Recent exhibitions include "Transformando Ideas" (Transforming Ideas) in the Sala Angel Ruben Garrido  2018. Artist's statement: “The idea is not to live forever, the idea is to create something that does.” “Degeneracion Urbana” (Urban degeneration) Sketch for engraving.  facebook.com/victor.lima facebook.com/VelpVelp instagram.com/velp_velp velpvelp.tumblr.com

“Torero de Corazon” (Bull of Heart), in terracota ARTIST - Juanito Flores Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibitions include Expo Mascara III 2017; demonstration expo "Clay in the Hands" 2017. Artist's statement: "Art fascinates me and music entertains me." self-portrait, in oil, referencing Gerardo Sacristan facebook.com/profile.juanito

“Elementos básicos de la naturaleza” (Basic elements of nature), acrylic ARTIST - Kalho Depiedra, aka Jairo Piedra   (1987 - ) Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). I guess this is a two-for-one situation. One artist, two names, and producing volumes of work as if there really are two different people. Kalho/Jairo uses the color palette to great effect. Well worth your time looking further into his/their imagery. Portrait (decorated with pre-Columbian, femininity and nature) Click here for the magazine article available online facebook.com/kalho.depiedra facebook.com/jairo.piedra