A series of introspective drawings, by looking not inside, but outside: into the amazon jungle.  

‘To find peace of mind and inspiration in nature’: a romantic thought of someone who spent the past 10 years of her life living in cities. After arriving in the small amazon village San Roque de Cumbaza, in northern Peru, I quickly found out the reality would be different. Here, I spent a few weeks as an artist in residence in a little house made of clay and leaves in the middle of the jungle. The sudden change of environment immediately sharpened all my senses, resulting not in the aspired meditative state, but in an alert, constantly moving and exploring way of being in the world. In order to find my way around in the pitch dark nights and to find comfort in the orchestra of new sounds and shapes, drawing became the only way of sorting my thoughts and exploring my fears. I discovered a world where being inside does not necessarily feels safer than outside; where other species claimed their space and had no mercy for my preliminary survival skills; where a lack of other human beings made me look for my reflection elsewhere. During these weeks I felt as if I was dissolving and disappearing, as well as connecting and conciliating. Upon departure I understood on a profound personal level how our environment shapes us, how we become through it and how the world around us reflects and affects us.

Residency with Sachaqa Centro de Arte in San Roque de Cumbaza, Peru, 2018

Read the interview by Trina about my stay.