Mamani Mamani
About the Artist
Mamani Mamani is an Aymara artist from Bolivia, born in 1962. His work is significant in its use of Aymara indigenous tradition and symbols. His art has been exhibited around the world, including shows in Seoul, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Munich, China, Singapore, and London.
He is an artist who is able to impact the world, not only through his artistic technic, but also for showing the world a new version of Bolivia. Bolivia is a country that is vibrant, lively and colourful and Mamani Mamani embodies this through his characteristic style, textures and emotion. While Mamani Mamani also makes clay sculptures and is a photographer, he is most famous for his paintings made up of his signature use of primary colours and innate way of expression. Mamani Mamani's paintings draw upon his Aymara heritage, and include colourfully stylized images of indigenous mothers, condors, suns, and moons, among other themes. For example, flowers reflect his stay in Cochabamba, the Bolivian valleys.
Mamani Mamani uses his art to express what he feels, and began painting his first outlines at the age of five or six, on paper, cardboard, newspaper and even school blackboards. The vibrant colours he uses resonates the colours featured in the traditional handmade weavings that are widely used by the indigenous people of the Bolivian Altiplano. In his culture, vibrant colours are used to scare away bad spirits and to pull people out of darkness.
Proud of what he is, he says: “All of us are Mamani” since it is a very common name among Aymara population. That is why he likes to be called “Mamani Mamani” instead of using his first name, “Roberto”.
