Jose Piedra

About the Artist

Jose Piedra  was born in Casma - Peru, a town at north from the capital, Lima. Where the Caral civilization was developed at 2600 B.C., one of the oldest civilizations from the American Continent, those people didn't know weapons but they do know art. Piedra has been drawing since his childhood and playing drums since he was a teenager. Graduated from the  National Fine Arts School  at 1987, he is a professional artist and paints with surrealistic style with oils, acrylics and mixed media techniques. Pepe Piedra became known in Peru once he started playing with Tierra Sur, a really popular Reggae band. Before that, he has been playing with several groups and one of the most popular Traditional bands in Peru, Yawar. Later he moves to Washington DC - USA and founds in 1998 the RAYMI Band (fussion of  latin-folk rhythms with Rock and Reggae). On 1984, he start to teaching art at Summer Camps in Trujillo (Peruvian North Cost), then he moved to Lima (Peruvian Capital) and he kept teaching as well.  In USA , he start to teach Art in WVSA with kids with special needs (2001) after that he  teach at Barbara Chambers Children Center (2002) Then he moves to teach Art at  Henson Valley Montessori School in Upper Marlboro, Maryland , (2003 – 2008)  He works and teach Art  in his Blue Moon Studio School in Washington DC Area  and working in “Sun Rise Academy” in Washington DC, (2008 – 2010) doing murals inside the building warming the environment for the students. Jose Piedra is being doing murals in different places of DC area since 2000 at the present .                                                                

Artist's Statement

The Andes are the expression of a cosmic miracle, which inspired me to consecrate my life to art . My work, be it painting or music, is my contribution to the strong identity of the Andean people. In various occasions my art invites to a thoughtful process of thinking, in others it shouts and protests. My work also tries to capture satire, as Goya himself did, manifesting the essence of my Andean roots, and the spirit of my Latino people. At a very young age, I was surprised by the tranquility of provincial life, and in later years, I reflected this sentiment through my work, combining this early sense with elements of happiness, such as simple celebrations of rural life and its mystic interpretation. In my paintings, I seek to capture the pureness, the joy, and the solemnity of a life unstained by mankind's selfishness. My compositions exhibit colors and forms that, when combine with ordinary images of day-to-day life, creates a sense of magical reality. A reality in which both, artist and spectator become immersed in the discovery of a new creative ritual. I would still be surrounded by the adventure of dreams, magic and myths, in which our tireless search for forms, language, signals, balance and tension are carried out.