Arturo Kameya
Ascención, 2024
Acrylic and clay powder on wood panel, triptych
300 x 300 cm | 118 1/8 x 118 1/8 in (overall)
Further images
This triptych is a reference to the Ascension of Christ. The bottom panel depicts Peruvian homes built along riverbeds that frequently flood. These fragile constructions collapse due to Peru’s extreme...
This triptych is a reference to the Ascension of Christ.
The bottom panel depicts Peruvian homes built along riverbeds that frequently flood. These fragile constructions collapse due to Peru’s extreme climate, marked by long droughts and sudden, intense floods. The bundle of clothing refers to donations sent from Western countries: worn, damaged garments that tell their own stories and will be used again by the Peruvian people.
The middle panel features a bird (canary) which was often used in mining: canaries, historically employed to detect toxic gas. Mining remains a major industry in Peru.
The top panel shows that no matter how far one ascends, even into the afterlife, bureaucracy remains inescapable. Kameya shows the corrupt voting system which references Peru’s complex and overall corrupt system.
The bottom panel depicts Peruvian homes built along riverbeds that frequently flood. These fragile constructions collapse due to Peru’s extreme climate, marked by long droughts and sudden, intense floods. The bundle of clothing refers to donations sent from Western countries: worn, damaged garments that tell their own stories and will be used again by the Peruvian people.
The middle panel features a bird (canary) which was often used in mining: canaries, historically employed to detect toxic gas. Mining remains a major industry in Peru.
The top panel shows that no matter how far one ascends, even into the afterlife, bureaucracy remains inescapable. Kameya shows the corrupt voting system which references Peru’s complex and overall corrupt system.