The soul of the Andes is suffering
Paintings by Jaime Colán
The paintings of Jaime Colán pull no punches: all is not well with Mother Nature - Pachamama, as the indigenous peoples of the Andes call her.
Climate change is causing the snow in the Andes to melt. In large cities, like Lima, there is hardly a tree left.
“In my paintings I show that things have to be different, that we must have more respect for nature, our environment, for Creation.”
All is also not well with the people in Peru. “The gap between rich and poor continues to get bigger. The poor are mainly the indigenous peoples and Mestizos, the people of mixed race. Women bear the brunt of the burden of poverty. That's why I like to paint women who are at work. Through their work, they take care of my country's future.”
And not least: the centuries-old culture of the indigenous peoples is under threat, a culture that dates back to the Incas. Colán says: “Peru is losing her soul. That's why people who make music have a special place in my work. After all, in the old music instruments one hears the soul of the Andes.” Colán was born in 1956 in Lima, Peru. His father is a Quechua, his mother a Mestizo. His surname is that of his mother: “To honour her, because she raised me, together with five other children.” That he became an artist is thanks to a Canadian missionary sister. “She saw that I could draw and ensured that I could go to the art academy.”
Colán's German wife worked in Peru as an aid worker. Two decades ago, the couple moved to live in Germany. Colán exhibits in various cities in Europe and, a few years ago, also in Lima.
His greatest role model is Vincent van Gogh. “What inspires me, above all, is the poverty in his paintings, but also the sun and his range of colours.”
The Roman Catholic Church accounts for about 85 percent of the Peruvian population. Gustavo Gutiérrez, an indigenous Peruvian, is considered to be the father of liberation theology. Peruvian Catholicism uses many indigenous customs. The most important Protestant churches are the Evangelical Church of Peru and the Assemblea de Dios.
Contact our office for a copy!
Tel: 0031 (0)30 880 1760
E-mail: kalender@zendingsraad.nl