Gustavo Salas
A native of Pisac, located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas in Cusco, Peru, Gustavo Salas was born into a world of plentiful art, precious cultural history and intense creativity. Exposed to woodcraft by his father, a carpenter, and surrounded by ceramic artworks since early childhood, young Gustavo had a passion for ceramics. He studied art at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in Cusco and Lima, and has created extraordinary artworks throughout his artistic career that have won him prizes, recognition and been exhibited in Peru, the United Kingdom, Spain, Ecuador and Argentina.
Today, his stunning sculptures pay homage to his home town, demonstrating his love for animals and nature, with particular credit for modernizing the traditional and holistic figure of the “Pucara” bull, originally from Puno but predominant throughout Cusco and most of Peru.
"My inspiration comes from an attempt at rescuing aesthetic cultural values and finding their lost identity, while striving to interconnect my Andean heritage and ideals with the sharing of modern, pleasing and blissful lines and forms.”
Bull
The Pucara bull is a peculiar colorful ceramic piece usually placed on the rooftop of the small houses in the Andean region, representing high spirituality and family protection. Historically related to fertility, to the protection of harvest and livestock, the Pucara bull is known as a sign of good luck, transcending times and spreading its mysticism throughout the country, fully engrained in Peruvian culture. Salas has modernized the notorious figure, creating a sleek bull with gorgeous curves which stands ready in a protective but yet non-confrontational position.
Made in glowing fiber-glass, the modern Pucara bull is seen in these images in a hot Ferrari red.
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Material: Fiberglass with acrylic paint
Built in 2022
Ceramics
The family of sheep represents Salas’ strong connection to nature in his ceramic artwork. Provoking discussion over topics often times raised in modern society, along with the overtone over the “black sheep”, the ceramic sheep family in these images shows the mother sheep in dark color.
