Gabriela Vargas Telaya (Lima, 1983) / Pencil and graphite artist

 

Born in Lima, Perú in the 80s, a very tumultuous time in Peruvian history, surrounded by terrorism, blackouts, and the fear of the unknown. The eldest of three children, Gabriela grew up in her grandparent’s house, surrounded by nature and the fantasy world that one would create considering the outside world was so uninviting for a young girl. Immersed in drawing and coloring, she developed a love for precise details, clean lines, and the beauty of creating with pencil and paper.

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All of this would become particularly useful as she went on to study architecture and share her practice within her own design studio. But there was something missing, that magic that comes with doing what you are really here to do.

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With passion building, she began searching for an answer, buying papers, pencils and inks, going back to the root of everything.

First came calligraphy, which she practiced nonstop, filling her apartment with papers covered in ink. Until one night she decided it was time to face what she always wanted to do: DRAW.

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So, she began, and since the first drawing she knew that was what she wanted to do and explore.

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With this transition also came moving to the countryside in Puno, Peru, reconnecting with nature and a bit of isolation, just as in her childhood. With this was also the decision of giving up architecture to take on drawing full time.

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She developed a hyperrealist and monochrome style, highlighting the lights, shadows, and shapes of the objects more than their color. Giving a new look to everyday objects and their effects on the conscience of the society around her and the one she grew up with.