The Art Scene of Loja Ecuador

ARTIST - Karen Elizabeth Ludeña Armijos  (1998 - ) Studied Visual Arts at Loja Unida. more information to come "Death Queen" facebook.com/elizabeth.k.armijos instagram.com/betha

 ARTIST - Claudia Paola Cartuche Flores (Claw CF)  (1984 - ) Studied at, and now a teacher for, the Department of Architecture and Arts of Private Technical University of Loja (UTPL). Trained in various artistic media, now mostly expressing her vision and creating her images using photography. "Classic" (photograph) facebook.com/claw.cf instagram.com/clawcf 500px.com/clawcf

"The sushi eater" ARTIST - Kelly Gualsaqui (kilogramo, or kg) Studied at the National University of Loja (UNL), and Instituto Superior Tecnológico “Daniel Alvarez Burneo” (ISTDAB). Prolific young Lojano artist who brings her female perspective to her images of young women and animals in interesting ways. Works in murals, graphic arts, illustration, body painting, and more. Be sure to check out the link to her Instagram page for examples of her work. Recent exhibitions include "Indómita - Festival De Arte Urbano" in Zamora (2018). facebook.com/kelly.gualsaqui instagram.com/kg_kilogramo

"Fertility 2" ARTIST - Pausa Visual (Paulina Salinas)   (1972 - ) Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), Master's degree in Art with a mention in Sculpture from National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Currently President of the Asociación de Artistas Plásticos y Visuales de Loja (Association of Visual Artists of Loja), and Teacher for a Career of Visual Arts at the Universidad Nacional de Loja (UNL). Recent exhibitions include Arte Mujer 2018, and II International Salon of Visual Arts in Trujillo, Peru 2018. Artist's statement: "When I played with clay as a child and made small vessels and figures as part of my fun, I still did not think about the possibility of making it the raw material of my sculptures. Little by little I was maturing the idea of ​​working with this material that holds so much meaning, combining between my hands the four elements that are now part of my work." facebook.com/pau.salinas pausavi

ARTIST - María Fernanda Cárdenas Santín Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). María's 2018 thesis for UTPL, titled " PROPUESTA ESCULTÓRICA DE LA FIGURAESTILIZADA FEMENINAREALIZADA EN MADERA " (Sculptural proposal of the stylized female figure made of wood) is available online in pdf format (in Spanish). facebook.com/mcardenassantin

ARTIST - Javier Alexander Montaño Escobar Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Artist frequently signs his work as "Mugre XI - I" or just simply "XI - I." Besides his murals, painting and illustration work, Javier is also a musician. facebook.com/javier.montano behance.net/jamontescoac facebook.com/Mugre-XI-I

"Globus Perdidos" (The Lost Globe) ARTIST - Jeshua Emilio Guajala Ramírez Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibition: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman . Jeshua's thesis for UTPL, titled “ Paradojas del tiempo. El paisaje urbano de Loja de antaño en una interpretación lúdica de acontecimientos intemporales ” (Paradoxes of time. The urban landscape of Loja of yesteryear in a playful interpretation of timeless events) is available online in pdf format in Spanish. “Paradoja en San Sebastian de 1931” no contact info available at this time

ARTIST - Jessica Morocho Recent exhibition: "Promesas" (Promises), Arte Lojano, CCE 2018. no contact info yet

"Love yourself" ARTIST - Teresa Castañeda Studied Art & Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibitions include: “The ink is over #4” (2017), “Arte Mujer VI exposición colectiva” (2018), and "Contrasts" (2018). Also contributed to the Wabi-Sabi Collective mural for the 18 November School. facebook.com/liliana

ARTIST - Vladimir Rodriguez Recent exhibitions: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman, “The Beauty of Imperfection" at City Gate (2018). Also contributed to the Wabi-Sabi Collective mural for the 18 November School. facebook.com/vladimir.rodriguez

COLLECTIVE - Wabi-Sabi Official statement: "Artists’ Collective of the city of Loja, spreading the art of our artists and realized cultural projects." Based on the Japanese philosophy "Wabi Sabi" which finds beauty in the simple, the perfect imperfect. Art exhibitions, murals, and more. Recent exhibitions include: “Contrasts” in the Casona Cultural (2018), “The Beauty of Imperfection" at City Gate (2018), "Lifting Flight" in the Sala Eduardo Kingman (2017). Portion of a mural for the 18 November School made by the collective facebook.com/Wabi-Sabi

Are you the missing piece? As stated on our "About" page, we are simply two art afficionados who love the plethora of visual arts to be found in Loja. We have attended many art openings and exhibitions, and even visited several artist studios in the year and a half since moving to the city. We've seen and or met a lot of artists but we know full well that there are more out there. This website is not meant to be totally inclusive of every talented person in Loja, in part because new ones arise monthly. But we do want to identify as many as we can so that: 1) we can enjoy their work and watch their development, and 2) we can help promote them to a wider audience through the worldwide web. Therefore we need your help. If you are a Lojano artist visiting this website and do not find that we have mentioned you then please contact us and submit information so we can correct the omission. There is a contact form in the left-hand menu so we can start a conversation. A

"Landscape of Podocarpus National Park" oil on canvas ARTIST - Jorge Bolivar Loja Orellana Studied at Central University of Ecuador. Born in Loja, currently lives in Quito. Artist's statement: "For more than two decades I have been painting landscapes of nature and especially the Ecuadorian Amazon. My theme is framed within romantic and ecological realism. I was born in Loja a border city in the South of Ecuador, cradle of art and culture, recognized worldwide. Artistic activity that I complement with my exhibitions, trips to know nature, photography and music." “Sol imponente” (Imposing Sun) elmuseovirtual.com/ficha facebook.com/jorgeorellanaloja.arteorellana

"Tree" (2004) embossing and painting by hand ARTIST - Mónica Sarmiento Castillo   (1967 - ) Studied Fine Arts at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Born and educated in Loja, currently living in Spain. Artist's philosophy (from her blog): In her works, Monica manages pictorial concepts with traditional techniques, following the concepts of pre-Columbian art. Her works delve into the investigation of nature, exploring different materials in painting, sculpture, collage, drawing, glass and others. Chromatic and constructivist structuring are characteristic of her work...The artist creates visual effects from the integration of form, volume and space. Different planes recreate a constructivist structural language in which the experience of the subject and its conceptual philosophy are united, originating works that the artist calls 'chromatic textures'." Exhibitions include multiple cities and countries around the world, including Beirut,

ARTIST - Andrés Castro (Mösue) Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Andrés helped organize TEDx-UTPL in 2017. Recent exhibitions: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman , and “Se acabó la tinta” (the ink is over) on the campus of UTPL in 2018. Artist's statement: "I've always had this insatiable desire to draw, to paint, that's why I never stop, and that's the beauty of it because every time I try to get better.” facebook.com/andres.castro behance.net/Mosue deviantart.com/m0sue

"Verano" (Summer) digital illustration ARTIST - Mafer (María) Songor Jaramillo Studied Art and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Currently works at UTPL and at Spiral Arte y Diseño. Recent exhibition: "Wabi Sabi" (2017) in the Sala Eduardo Kingman . facebook.com/mafer.songorjaramillo facebook.com/Spiral-Arte-y-Diseno

of clay and moss ARTIST - Nieves Gualán Studied at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Recent exhibitions include "Visual Prelude" (2015), "Promesas (Promises), ArteLojano, CCE 2018," and "Convergencia de un sueño imperfecto" (Convergence of an imperfect dream) 2018. facebook.com/nieves.gualan

ARTIST - Pablo Fernando Ortega Salinas Studied Visual Arts and Design at Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL). Pablo's works have been in numerous exhibitions since his first in 2011. Edad de la Furia (Age of the Fury). 2019 facebook.com/ilus.maya youtube.com/channel/