"CULTURA"

I have the great gift of amazing and talented friends. One of these amazing people is Edgar Navarro, An artist and jewelry designer who not only has the talent to create amazing pieces, but also looks great doing it. 

Edgar Navarro, artist and jewelry designer

He chose a very controversial theme for his art exposition "What It’s Like To Be a Ladino in Guatemala" and blended it with his personal experiences to create a mixture of color and texture with a message.

It took me a while to get there, as you know I get off work at eight, no time to go home and change. So I put on some bright coral lipstick, a leather trimmed coat and in the wise words of Tim Gunn I had to “make it work”. The best accessory someone can wear in time of need, is “attitude” so I packed a bunch of it and like always I made my “fashionably late entrance”.

I will not get into a political debate over the definition of "ladino" and all of the different connotations of class and race this term brings along. I want to focus more on the personal experiences of the artist and the gorgeous model, who also happens to be a very good friend, Gerardo Cordova. The esthetics of the whole project can be admired as soon as you set foot in the gallery. The logistics of course had to be done by his amazing assistant and talented fashion designer Alexander Ayala, creating an atmosphere of class and sophistication that surrounded the whole gallery.

The color, the sensuality of the images and the two dimensional pieces along with exquisite Jewelry from ESCARLATA (his own brand of  semi precious stones and silver based jewels) pops right into the eyes of the audience who just can’t stop staring. The idea of not only acquiring an amazing photograph with the androgynous innocence of model Gerardo’s beauty and the amazing ESCARLATA jewels is simply breathtaking.

 

my sister, JFD photographer ,Astrid Anzueto with

Alexander Ayala Fashion Designer

When I attend such events, I like to experience art in my very own way. I just stare and interpret the emotions I get from it. This piece in particular caught my eye, not only because it sits in the middle of the room as a beautiful centerpiece, but because of the candles it had a mystical air that quickly drew me to it.  His work is profoundly personal and I felt it when he explained the meaning.

"It is called AQUI TAMBIEN DUELE (here it hurts too)

,..It’s like a kind of altar to all that has made me who I am today. The color of the candles is for the three types of "maiz" (corn) which was and still is the basic diet of the indigenous population. The red sandals at the foot of the chair are for the oppression suffered and the blood they have shed through the history of our country. The big wooden chair has two meanings, the Spanish side of my heritage and the other one... the other one... this chair was supposed to be part of the furniture when we moved in (I knew he was speaking of a recent breakup) 

"...coping with this loss, it inspired me to create this project, as you can see..."

And with the quiet elegance that he is known for, he spoke no more. The silence that fell after these words told me it was the end of the answer and that he had revealed something very personal. I said nothing and continued along contemplating his art and admiring him even more, not only for the talent but for the humanity in him.