Pieces of Guillermo Guardia

Peruvian-born and Grand Forks-based ceramic artist Guillermo Guardia traded the mountains for the prairie in the early 2000s. HPR relishes the opportunity to discuss his upcoming exhibition at The Uptown Gallery in Downtown Fargo and his experiences as a resident artist in rural North Dakota.

HPR: What kind of work will be featured in your upcoming exhibition?

Gulliermo Guardia: I called the exhibit 2 Verdades/2 Truths. I am bringing two bodies of work, puzzle sculptures and baby devils. One deals with personal experiences and emotions, the other started as a political statement. At the Uptown Gallery I will bring five or six puzzle sculptures and five or six baby devils, all made this year. This is a new beginning for me. Earlier this year I decided to become a full-time studio artist. I am very pleased with the results of the new pieces, especially the baby devils. Every year they are becoming more complex and evolving into stronger art work. In fact the baby devils have been in more national exhibitions than the puzzle pieces.

HPR: What are your influences?

GG: I have always admired the work of the Renaissance, especially Michelangelo’s sculptures. Unfortunately I could only see pictures of those sculptures but never saw them in person. In contrast, growing up in Peru gave me the opportunity to appreciate and learn about many Peruvian Pre-Columbian cultures. Inca is perhaps the most important in history, but the Mochica culture was the one that eventually impacted my artwork. The surfaces of the baby devils are covered with Mochica designs -- the same designs that ancient Peruvians painted on their ceramic vessels and murals. The mochica designs on the baby devils have become a tool to depict some of my Peruvian heritage.

HPR: How did you find yourself in North Dakota?

GG: I went to college in Peru. I was an art major and wanted to be a sculptor. I switched my major to Industrial Design in hopes of finding a job after graduation. The last elective I chose was ceramics for artists. It changed everything. I got hooked. I wanted to learn more and make more ceramics. There weren’t any ceramics graduate programs back then in Peru, so I knew I had to look abroad. I researched colleges and universities in the States, and graduate programs. I applied to four of them and I got accepted to two. One was in California, the other one was University of North Dakota. UND offered me a tuition waiver so I came to Grand Forks.

HPR: What do you think of art in North Dakota?

GG: I always wonder why art programs are cut when schools need to make budget cuts. Doesn’t North Dakota have more than enough oil money to invest in its own people? There are many institutions in the state that work very hard to bring the arts to as many people as possible; the North Dakota Museum of Art, Plains Art Museum, the Arts center in Jamestown, Nelson County Arts Council, just to name a few. I think art education in the state must improve. In the past years there has been an increase in the number of artists producing high quality artwork. I think there is a new group of young artists with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. I hope they keep working and keep the same energy for many more years.

HPR: I see that you have done multiple residencies throughout the state -- would you be willing to tell our readers about that experience? 

GG: I worked for the Museum of Art for almost 6 years. My main job was to travel around the state to teach ceramics in small-town North Dakota. Most of the rural schools don’t have art classes. On most occasions they set up a room for the workshop. It could be in the gym, in a stage behind the gym, an old cafeteria in the basement, hallways, etc. Although art wasn’t included in their curriculum they believed it is important for their students to learn. For most students it was their first art class, the first time they used their hands and made something out of clay, and the first time they met somebody from Peru. I wanted not only for the students to learn and enjoy art but to also learn about Peru. An art career is not easy. It is not always true when we are told we have a gift or a talent. We have to do something with that talent and make a living out of it. I was fortunate that in Grand Forks I found the support of a great institution such as the North Dakota Museum of Art. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for NDMOA and its director Laurel Reuter.

IF YOU GO:

2 Verdades / 2 Truths Opening Reception

Thurs. Oct. 8, 6 - 8 p.m.

Uptown Gallery 74 Broadway Fargo

www.moguya.com