Cuenca has a prolific art community with many galleries for contemporary art. We began a meandering and challenging pursuit of the art trails within the city and discovered ceramic wall sculptures hidden in plain sight.
We found public works by the region’s two most prominent artists, Eduardo Vega and Hermano Iliescu. Massive and striking, the works can be found on the interior wall of a bank branch in El Centro, at the entry courtyard of the University of Cuenca and on the interior and exterior walls of the Gobernacion de Azuay.
Eduardo Vega is a prolific Cuenca ceramicist who works in a variety of media. His wall sculptures include highly polished mosaic tile, some of it in metallic finishes of gold, copper and silver.
Vega also used floral, plant and wildlife motifs in his work. “Arbol De La Vida” welcomes students when they enter the University of Cuenca through the main gates.
Another massive work has raw clay textures with a cartographic feel.
The work of Hermano Iliescu focuses on the history and rituals of the indigenous peoples of southern Ecuador, their cultural traditions and spirit. We found this marvelous work under a sheltered portico on an outside wall of the very public Gobernacion de Azuay. The rich depiction of the people of province of Azuay captures the richness of the native culture.
Though our unmarked trail in quest of the murals was sometimes confusing and took most of a day, the art was well worth it.
MedFlies 