The paintings by Shirley Villavicencio Pizango (°1988, Lima) – a Ghent based artist with Peruvian roots – are vibrating and invigorating. A crossover between her daily life in Ghent and her inheritance of the South-American culture is what defines her work. Pizango paints her own interpretation of the world or more specifically, of the people she encounters; no matter if they are close friends, family or strangers. Not limiting herself to a classical approach of painting, her work is marked by spontaneity, bright colours and the elimination of any conventions regarding perspective. It reminds of artists such as Picasso, Gauguin, Matisse but also Frida Kahlo or Diego Rivera – great sources of inspiration for the young artist.

'Under the Same Moon with the Stars as Shelter in a Land of Sand' focuses on the relationship with the artist's biological mother, the time they lived together in Villa El Salvador (a slum near Lima, Peru) and people who are important her life. The paintings are a non-chronological representation, based on her own memories and old photographs, and provide insight in the artist’s personal life in Peru, as well as in Belgium.

Artists: Shirley Villavicencio Pizango