“Flora and fauna are icons often celebrated and depicted in Andean folklore, including Peruvian dance, textiles, and artifacts. This work seeks to explore my Andean heritage and its symbols using embroidered textiles, portraiture and a reinterpretation of the traditional retablo Ayacuchano (birthplace of my mother and grandmother). It also serves as a reconciliation between the loss of identity I felt as an immigrant child and the roots I am rediscovering along the way. My version of the traditional retablo Ayacuchano celebrates the individuals who have passed down to me an appreciation of Peruvian folklore and traditions, as well as sisterhood which I consider a sacred relationship.”

Lucia Morales’ work exhibits the rich quality of centuries of tradition. Through her art, she explores deep within the self as well as externally, creating pieces that speak of her identity in Miami, and Lima, Peru. Through her retablo, she re-contextualizes a long tradition of Peruvian pictorial representation, adapting from the first retablos used by the Spanish to evangelize the Andean communities to more secular themes of tradition, family, and celebration. Hermanas presents two figures as the centerpiece of the retablo, their backs turned towards the viewer in a moment of contemplation.

Biography:

Lucia Morales is a Miami-based artist and educator, from Lima, Peru. Her childhood home and cultural heritage have shaped and continue to influence her artistic practice in different ways. Maintaining a strong connection to her roots, she has danced and performed Peruvian folklore since childhood. Through dance and painting she explores new pathways and relationships between places and people. Most influential to her artistic practice are her heritage, surroundings and the beauty of nature and diversity of flora and fauna in Florida. When painting, she looks for what lies beneath the surface of an individual and for new ways to express the natural world. In 2020, Lucia was selected for the STAR art residency at the Hermitage Art Retreat in Manasota Key, Florida where she painted en plein air landscapes. Lucia was an Art Educator with MDCPS for many years and has taught private classes and public workshops. Currently, Lucia is an MFA candidate at Florida International University and holds a Master’s of Art Education and a Bachelor in Landscape Architecture from Florida International University.

Website: www.luciamoralesart.com

Email: luciamorales001@gmail.com

Instagram: luciamorales_art