Katherine Castillo Alférez
"Fungi Rhino" Bronze on steel base 35 x 40 x 40 cm 17 Kg
My Roots - Chibchas / Muiscas (Ceramic series)
These ceramic works are a personal interpretation of the stories I read about the indigenous tribe The Muiscas or Chibchas, each piece describe a myth, a legend that tell the history and origins of my hometown Bogota, Colombia, before the Spanish colonization. The muiscas formed during the period of 1000 BCE to 500 CE where they transitioned from hunter gathered lifestyles to more settled agricultural practices. They became one of the most skilled gold workers at the time, even more so than the Mayas or Aztecs in Mexico. Particularly highlighted by the gold-copper alloy votive offerings. They venerated each of their deities with the devotion and respect for nature, like most other first nation civilizations, they believed in the power of nature like the cosmos, the earth, the sky, the water, the animals as well as the people as main foundation of their daily routines and social development.
The 11 (eleven) White earthenware glazed ceramics stand proud as a symbol of their culture, contrasting the luminosity of gold luster that talk for itself about their craftsmanship legacy. in addition of 2(two) full body golden glazed ceramic sculptures of most iconic Muisca founds from the gold museum in Bogotá.