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Ylce Vilchez
"My art accompanies me; it defines me as a creative being. Every painting is based on my experiences as an Andean woman."
"I'm Ylce Onelly Vilchez, born in Huaraz, Ancash on November 4, 1963. I'm the second of five children. When we were very... young, my family moved to the capital and we only went back to Huaraz to visit my grandparents and relatives.
"I went to a private elementary school but our economic situation got worse and worse, so I finished my education in public schools. About that time, I began to develop my talent for drawing and painting. My mother was in favor of this, and my friends from school supported me, too. These girls are still my friends today and we keep in touch to share our life experiences.
"In 1981, I enrolled in one of the country's principal universities where I majored in law and political science. I made many of my best friends there while, at the same time, I studied in the School of Fine Arts. In this way, I complemented my academic work with creative efforts, and this defined my path in life. I decided to seek affirmation as an artist with a vision of a society that, sadly, sometimes still mistreated minorities.
"After that, I studied graphic design, which reinforced my freehand drawing and opened new job horizons. This helped me recover from an accident that delayed my career for three years. I was at home when it happened and I tripped over a telephone cable, tearing the ligaments in my right hand. My recovery was very slow, becoming a personal challenge for me and my family that, little by little, we were able to overcome. It was so hard at first. I wasn't able to hold a paintbrush. To try to rise above this limitation, I began to paint with the palette knife, creating new styles and playing with shapes. Very slowly, over time, I was once more able to hold a paintbrush. I could add finer details to my work and be myself again.
"My dream is to continue growing as an artist and convey my Andean origins in my paintings. I want to be a woman who is both critical and positive in the face of life.
"My art accompanies me; it defines me as a creative being. Every painting is based on my experiences as an Andean woman."
"I went to a private elementary school but our economic situation got worse and worse, so I finished my education in public schools. About that time, I began to develop my talent for drawing and painting. My mother was in favor of this, and my friends from school supported me, too. These girls are still my friends today and we keep in touch to share our life experiences.
"In 1981, I enrolled in one of the country's principal universities where I majored in law and political science. I made many of my best friends there while, at the same time, I studied in the School of Fine Arts. In this way, I complemented my academic work with creative efforts, and this defined my path in life. I decided to seek affirmation as an artist with a vision of a society that, sadly, sometimes still mistreated minorities.
"After that, I studied graphic design, which reinforced my freehand drawing and opened new job horizons. This helped me recover from an accident that delayed my career for three years. I was at home when it happened and I tripped over a telephone cable, tearing the ligaments in my right hand. My recovery was very slow, becoming a personal challenge for me and my family that, little by little, we were able to overcome. It was so hard at first. I wasn't able to hold a paintbrush. To try to rise above this limitation, I began to paint with the palette knife, creating new styles and playing with shapes. Very slowly, over time, I was once more able to hold a paintbrush. I could add finer details to my work and be myself again.
"My dream is to continue growing as an artist and convey my Andean origins in my paintings. I want to be a woman who is both critical and positive in the face of life.
"My art accompanies me; it defines me as a creative being. Every painting is based on my experiences as an Andean woman."
