One of Colombia´s top artists hasn´t been seen around here for a while!
What has happened to him? Where has he gone?
Well, you will be pleased to know that nothing bad has happened to Carlos Jacanamijoy, it is simply that he moved to New York to work exclusively with the Leon Tovar Gallery. His work is still popular in Colombia, but obviously as his prices have risen then so he has had to find new markets and the Leon Tovar Gallery has taken the artist under its wing.
Carlos Jacanamijoy: The Man – The Myth
Carlos Jacanamijoy, or “Jaca” as he is commonly known, is an indigenous Inga indian from the Putomayo region of Colombia. Son of a shaman father and tribal chief, Jaca knew from an early age that his life would not be fully traditional.
Not content to stay in his village and knowing since he was 13 that he wanted to study art, Jaca as a young man left his village to explore the wider world that was Colombia. By his early twenties he had already experienced the local capital cities of Cali and the national capital of Bogota. It was there in Bogota that he was attracted to one of the more important art schools in Colombia – the Universidad Nacional or National University.
Within a few short years of graduating his work was quickly picked up for its indigenous character and uniqueness and soon the artist was catapulted to fame within his native land. In just a few short years quite a number of books were produced showing his latest works. But as we well know today, where there is boom there is bust and as his work became more pricier there were automatically fewer buyers in Colombia.
That is why Carlos finds himself treading the streets of Manhattan: looking to present his artwork to a different and perhaps more artistically advanced society: New York. And surely he will succeed as nothing succeeds like success.
Art & Artists From Colombia 