The Goodbye of the Sun

During the summer, I had the chance to visit -once again- 'La Capilla del Hombre' -The Chapel of Man- back in my hometown, Quito. This place is a beautiful museum built by one my favorite artists, Oswaldo Guayasamin -Ecuadorian painter and sculptor- to display his work of over 50 years. Guayasamin had indigenous origins and his family was really poor so his work has a social character and it was strongly influenced by the figure of his mother, he also explored different techniques and styles that most of artists at that time didn't dare to experiment. The background and inspiration for his work was so unique and refreshing that he quickly became one of the most renowned artists in Ecuador and later on he gained a lot of popularity abroad, especially due to his close friendship with icons of the artistic medium like poet Pablo Neruda or political figures like the -back in the day- French first lady Danielle Mitterrand.
Although his tematics are the kind of concepts that I usually try to avoid as much as possible, his paintings are way too touching and meaningful to be ignored. For Ecuadorians, Guayasamin doesn't represent a painter solely, he's the biggest proof of the infamous 'hard work pays off' so I always feel connected to his work, especially because the 'Chapel' is located in the north of the city -coincidentally quite close to my house- therefore the place holds a lot of emotional memories and I feel somehow attached to it.

Among his work, one of my favorite collections 'Huacayñan' or 'The Path of Tears' depicts the vision of miscegenation in Latin America, specially in the Andean Region. I'd spent hours talking about why I like these paintings so much but I better give you a glimpse of Guayasamín's art:

Capilla del Hombre- Coleccion Manos 'Hands Collection'

Las Manos de la Protesta- The claiming hands

Capilla del Hombre, indoor sight of the dome

Mural Capilla del Hombre. Translation 'I cried because I had no shoes, until I saw a kid with no feet'

In days like today, when I feel homesick, I wish I could go over the 'Chapel' and take pictures, there's an amazing view of my Quito from there, because well, my city too is a big inspiration for me when it comes to my creative process and, of course, I can't help but longing to be there...