The Art Scene of Loja Ecuador

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

"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

"Desnudos!" (Nudes!) oil on canvas ARTIST - Briggette Quezada  (1995 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibition: "Imágenes Sonoras" (Sound Images) in the Casona Cultural , 2018. pastel facebook.com/briggette.quezada instagram.com/briggettequezad

ARTIST - Orlando Rodríguez Studied at both Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) and Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). Sculptor in metal, clay and stone. Also illustration, paintings, murals, and body painting. Many of his works are public sculptures or murals in Macará. sculpture detail, from Sabiango_Macará a portion of the "Ladrilleros" set facebook.com/escultororlandorodriguez

ARTIST - Karen Elizabeth Ludeña Armijos  (1998 - ) Studied Visual Arts at Loja Unida. more information to come "Death Queen" facebook.com/elizabeth.k.armijos instagram.com/betha

"The sushi eater" ARTIST - Kelly Gualsaqui (kilogramo, or kg) Studied at the National University of Loja (UNL), and Instituto Superior Tecnológico “Daniel Alvarez Burneo” (ISTDAB). Prolific young Lojano artist who brings her female perspective to her images of young women and animals in interesting ways. Works in murals, graphic arts, illustration, body painting, and more. Be sure to check out the link to her Instagram page for examples of her work. Recent exhibitions include "Indómita - Festival De Arte Urbano" in Zamora (2018). facebook.com/kelly.gualsaqui instagram.com/kg_kilogramo

ARTIST - Javier Alexander Montaño Escobar Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Artist frequently signs his work as "Mugre XI - I" or just simply "XI - I." Besides his murals, painting and illustration work, Javier is also a musician. facebook.com/javier.montano behance.net/jamontescoac facebook.com/Mugre-XI-I

"Love yourself" ARTIST - Teresa Castañeda Studied Art & Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibitions include: “The ink is over #4” (2017), “Arte Mujer VI exposición colectiva” (2018), and "Contrasts" (2018). Also contributed to the Wabi-Sabi Collective mural for the 18 November School. facebook.com/liliana

ARTIST - Vladimir Rodriguez Recent exhibitions: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman, “The Beauty of Imperfection" at City Gate (2018). Also contributed to the Wabi-Sabi Collective mural for the 18 November School. facebook.com/vladimir.rodriguez

"Tree" (2004) embossing and painting by hand ARTIST - Mónica Sarmiento Castillo   (1967 - ) Studied Fine Arts at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Born and educated in Loja, currently living in Spain. Artist's philosophy (from her blog): In her works, Monica manages pictorial concepts with traditional techniques, following the concepts of pre-Columbian art. Her works delve into the investigation of nature, exploring different materials in painting, sculpture, collage, drawing, glass and others. Chromatic and constructivist structuring are characteristic of her work...The artist creates visual effects from the integration of form, volume and space. Different planes recreate a constructivist structural language in which the experience of the subject and its conceptual philosophy are united, originating works that the artist calls 'chromatic textures'." Exhibitions include multiple cities and countries around the world, including Beirut, ...

ARTIST - Andrés Castro (Mösue) Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Andrés helped organize TEDx-UTPL in 2017. Recent exhibitions: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman , and “Se acabó la tinta” (the ink is over) on the campus of UTPL in 2018. Artist's statement: "I've always had this insatiable desire to draw, to paint, that's why I never stop, and that's the beauty of it because every time I try to get better.” facebook.com/andres.castro behance.net/Mosue deviantart.com/m0sue

"Verano" (Summer) digital illustration ARTIST - Mafer (María) Songor Jaramillo Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Currently works at UTPL and at Spiral Arte y Diseño. Recent exhibition: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman . facebook.com/mafer.songorjaramillo facebook.com/Spiral-Arte-y-Diseno

ARTIST - Ana Cristina Sánchez Abad  (1992 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). In addition to painting, she works in inks and watercolors. Exhibitions include "Visual Prelude (2015)," "Women in Art (2016)," facebook.com/profile.ana imggram.net/profile/anycris.sanchez

sketch ARTIST - Francisco Javier Ordoñez Gonzaga Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Francisco likes to combine traditional artist methods with digital arts. Recent exhibitions include "Promesas (Promises), Arte Lojano, CCE 2018," and "Convergencia de un sueño imperfecto" (Convergence of an imperfect dream) 2018. Francisco's thesis for UTPL, “ El método paranoico-crítico como recurso creativo para el desarrollo de una propuesta artística ” (The paranoid-critical method as a creative resource for the development of an artistic proposal), is available online in Spanish. “zapatos de campeón” (champion shoes) facebook.com/franciscojavier.ordonezgonzaga behance.net/FJOG