Studio Visit: Ecuadorian artist Ana Liz Cordero in Al Fahidi

Walking through the narrow alleys of the Al Fahidi historical district I reached the mud-walled exterior of house number 40, the newly opened studio of Ecuadorian artist, Ana Liz Cordero. The sun-lit open courtyard of the home, once the abode of pearl merchants of Bastakia, houses a set of wooden chairs upholstered with traditional Emirati majlis seating. On display, on brown textured walls of two rooms inside, are a series of Ana’s artworks.

Giving me a tour of her studio, Ana talks about her association with the Inca community in her country, their obeisance to nature, coupled with her own interpretation of living amidst the deserts and beaches of UAE, is a major source of inspiration for her artworks.  Paying homage to the Inca Sun God in blazing yellow tones, her canvas meshes in dried leaves, petals and palm fronds found in the UAE. Her three-dimensional forms speak for themselves, giving a sculptural approach to her pieces. “My art has Inca antecedents, giving value to their care for nature. That’s my identity as an Ecuadorian, to remember to take care of the ecosystem and biodiversity. Living in the UAE, I have closely interacted with my surroundings and have been collecting flowers, sand, soil and leaves. As rugged landscapes, mountains and plants — all have different shapes, so does my art. To me movement is life,” she describes.

Growing up in the province of Azuay and Cañar, she used to visit the countryside with her father and watch how the Inca communities used to collect everything that Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) gave them. She saw how these indigenous people lived their lives based on everything natural. As a young artist, she was influenced by these childhood memories and it eventually spilled over into her art. “Nature speaks to us with its details, shapes and colours. It’s a source of connection with God and to the true essence of human beings,” she says.

Covid also turned out to be a great time for transformation and creativity in Ana’s life. When she found herself locked up in a hotel room in Madrid, during the early days of the pandemic, it churned in her the urge to value the freedom that human beings take for granted. Her current exhibition of abstract works in her art studio are also a result of this learning. She calls this series ‘Everything Changes’. “Created between 2020 and 2021, through this series I wanted to leave a message of valuing our creation, of valuing what God has given us.”