EDUARDO AZUAJE
Eduardo Azuaje is a native of Pariaguan,
in Eastern Venezuela. Pariaguan is close to the ocean, the river, the flatlands
and the jungle, where the Kariña Indians live. Such locations and the influence
of the indigenous culture are clearly evident in the compositions of Azuaje.
The artist integrates elements such as the curiara canoe, the churuata (Indian
hut) and the figure of the shaman into his paintings.
By using these elements and themes
related to an autochthonous culture, Eduardo Azuaje creates an atmosphere of
mysticism and spirituality in his paintings, which also leaves the viewer with
a feeling of great peace.
Azuaje’s
compositions refer back to the roots of his country’s indigenous belief system,
to the times when the jungle was still sacred and western civilization hadn’t
taken over yet to impose its values on the Indian culture.
Eduardo Azuaje is a master in creating paintings that convey
a mood rather than a specific narrative. His soft, atmospheric paintings often
include pre-Columbian elements of the jungle habitat that are associated with
indigenous religion myths. His images evoke a sense of the mystical, the
spiritual, and inner peace.
Eduardo Azuaje won the prestigious
first prize “Premio Unico Espana” with his recent installation, “The
oldest trip …the search of the origins” at the Salon International del
Arte, SIART 2001, in La Paz, Bolivia..
A unique collage technique accentuates the depth of Azuaje’s compositions. The artist utilizes diverse materials such as acrylic paints, charcoal sticks, sand, plastic glue, sand paper and carpentry sealer to build up textures. He then sandblasts the surface and then retouches it once more with layers of acrylics and carbon stick. This elaborate layered collage technique intensifies the mystic and atmospheric qualities of Azuaje’s oeuvre.