The Art Scene of Loja Ecuador

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

"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...

“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

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

"Fertility 2" ARTIST - Pausa Visual (Paulina Salinas)   (1972 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Master's degree in Art with a mention in Sculpture from National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Currently President of the Asociación de Artistas Plásticos y Visuales de Loja (Association of Visual Artists of Loja), and Teacher for a Career of Visual Arts at the Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). Recent exhibitions include Arte Mujer 2018, and II International Salon of Visual Arts in Trujillo, Peru 2018. Artist's statement: "When I played with clay as a child and made small vessels and figures as part of my fun, I still did not think about the possibility of making it the raw material of my sculptures. Little by little I was maturing the idea of ​​working with this material that holds so much meaning, combining between my hands the four elements that are now part of my work." facebook.com/pau.salinas pausavi...

ARTIST - María Fernanda Cárdenas Santín Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). María's 2018 thesis for UTPL, titled " PROPUESTA ESCULTÓRICA DE LA FIGURAESTILIZADA FEMENINAREALIZADA EN MADERA " (Sculptural proposal of the stylized female figure made of wood) is available online in pdf format (in Spanish). facebook.com/mcardenassantin

ARTIST - Jessica Morocho Recent exhibition: "Promesas" (Promises), Arte Lojano, CCE 2018. no contact info yet

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, ...

of clay and moss ARTIST - Nieves Gualán Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibitions include "Visual Prelude" (2015), "Promesas (Promises), ArteLojano, CCE 2018," and "Convergencia de un sueño imperfecto" (Convergence of an imperfect dream) 2018. facebook.com/nieves.gualan

ARTIST - Pablo Fernando Ortega Salinas Studied Visual Arts and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Pablo's works have been in numerous exhibitions since his first in 2011. Edad de la Furia (Age of the Fury). 2019 facebook.com/ilus.maya youtube.com/channel/

Portion of Simon Bolivar mural by fafo, location: opposite Loja City Gate ARTIST - Fabián Augustín Figueroa Ordóñez, aka fafo   (1954-2008) Director of the School of Arts at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) for 16 years, he inspired many of today's current Lojano artists. He produced works on canvas, sculpture, ceramics, mosaics and murals - being perhaps best known for his murals. A quick way to see several examples of his muralism is by touring the campus of UTPL where the exteriors of numerous buildings are adorned by his work.  A focal point of the campus is his monumental cross. According to fellow Lojano artist and contemporary, Angel Aguilar, Fabián unconsciously quoted and then transcended many of the important genres of the twentieth century with the aim of being expressively free.  Hints of synthetism, surrealism, cubism, abstraction, and the hyperreal flow through the artist's unique and recognizable vision.  Onli...

"The torozo" ARTIST - Pablo Villa  (1995 - ) Recent exhibition "360" held at the Sala Angel Ruben Garrido. In the artist's words: "...all the time that I am immersed in the quest to create. All the works I create are what I am, what I feel and what I think. I believe in the search for a perfect art, but I also believe that this path is endless, I know that it will take me a lifetime to find what I am looking for, so that one life is not enough to reach it and I believe that the basis of everything is creation, and in my case it takes a long time little, but it always arrives.” facebook.com/profile.pablo