An Olive Chorus
EL COMERCIO
Friday, October 13th, 2000
CULTURAL SECTION. LUCES
SCULPTURES Back in Lima. Two years have passed and now Margarita Checa is putting on an exhibition in Lima.
By Jose Gabriel Chueca
SCULPTOR MARGARITA CHECA OPENS TODAY AT 7:30 P.M., HER SOLO EXHIBITION “SINGING TO LIFE” AT THE LUCIA DE LA PUENTE ART GALLERY.
After putting on exhibitions in Panama, and Atlanta (Georgia, United States), where she also conducted workshops on bronze sculptures, Checa’s itinerary of a truly busy year comes to an end with a new solo exhibition: “Singing to Life”. The opening is tonight at the Lucia de la Puente Gallery. The exhibition comprises eight medium-size, and large scale sculptures made of olive wood and bronze.
Margarita Checa was born in Lima in 1950. She graduated from the Art School of the Catholic University in 1980. She was also a friend and disciple of sketcher and sculptor Christina Galvez. Her work, always inspired by the human figure, has been putting aside the stylization to come closer to a naturalism – as shown in this exhibition – that contributes to enhance this sort of primitive and sacred spirit encompassed in most of her sculptures. ”. In this regard, the artist says: “I think we have forgotten a little bit about our own primitive side that is hidden in each and everyone of us. Doing art for me is like a search of my origins. I always ask myself what the hell am I doing here. And I believe this thought is something that we all share, some sort of collective unconsciousness, which is what interest me the most. I think this is the result of the hieratic feature of my work of wishing to grab the moment. I’d like to think that I try to grab the very beating of life”. The verticality of these sculptures, that bring to our imagination ancient totems and certain tribal traits (like African shields and headdresses that recall us ancient Egyptian images), make reference to this origin from a cultural perspective; also extended to an individual scope – or biological perhaps – with the inclusion of young girls’ images. These particular figures somehow invite the viewer to remain silent.
“I think what’s crucial for this exhibition is the presence of a greater sensuality, a fuller one, more mature so to speak, that’s how I feel”, says Checa regarding a presence that serves as counterpoint to the mentioned verticality, and that is visible in the smooth curves of the olive’s surfaces. The sculptor, by the way, keeps a mechanic relation with this wood in terms of its transformation, and at the same time, a very sensorial one, which offers another dimension to the artistic experience. “Sandpapering the olive is easy, what’s hard is to carve it due to its complex grain. But I love it for its smell, a very strong, and captivating one. Sometimes I don’t wear the mask just to smell the fine dust of wood”.
The exhibition “Singing to life” is dedicated to Jorge Checa Velarde, father of the artist, recently deceased. Once the exhibition is over, Margarita Checa will dedicate all of her time in implementing her foundry, so she can make bronze sculptures.
