The city prints of Guayaquil, in large murals, by the artist Federico Airaudo, are conquering Canada

There is more than one dimension of nostalgia in the work of the Guayaquil artist Federico Airaudoestablished a year ago Canada. First, there is his obvious interest in depicting in great detail very cool prints, from his hometown, with a naive aesthetic what has become his hallmark.

These visions of Guayaquil, very colorful and satirical, include scenes in representative buildings of the city, such as the municipality of the city, the stadiums of Barcelona and Emelec, the promenade, the Morisca tower and more, where the daily life of the Pearl of the Pacific Ocean It is reflected in the action of anthropomorphic animals (monkeys, iguanas, dogs and cats).

But what few know is that this artistic inclination was developed slowly, from a very young age, when he still did draw and paint next to his mother. He inherited his creative streak from her, as she was an interior decorator with a studio full of temperas and all manner of painting gadgets, remembers Federico, who is actually a graphic designer by trade. “She made all the plans by hand, there was no computer at the time. She was the one who taught me to paint and draw”.

And it was thanks to the moments spent in his mother’s studio that this 40-year-old author saw for the first time a panoramic illustration of another city, with so many details about everyday situations, that he had to spend hours as a child trying to to understand everyone. “I remember he had on the wall of the studio a giant panoramic print of Buenos Aires, an illustration that the artist never knew about, but it was super detailed, with all its buildings… it always caught my attention” .

If there are poetic coincidences, this is one of them. That panoramic view of Buenos Aires turned out to be a kind of oracle for Federico, because he later settled in that city for his university studies, which he followed at the Higher School for Advertising Creatives. But that childhood had already implanted that urban inspiration in him, without knowing it. And later he applied it to his own artistic production, which is his most satisfying facet for now.

“When you graduated from the Creative School, you started working at an agency. They didn’t make you work with super productions and special effects, but they sent you to develop ideas with attention to the everyday, to the little things. I took that working method with me when I returned to Ecuador, but I didn’t like it. continued to work as freelancingbut i was not happy. There came a point in my life when I started questioning this, until one night I felt it: what I have to do is paint. I hadn’t picked up a brush in years and I remember going down to the winery that very night, getting the tempera paint and some old canvases and I started painting until three or four in the morning the next day… I felt really good And I started doing it daily.

Through art, Federico realized that he could continue to tell stories and that was the final push he needed to change his calling.

The urban animals of Federico Airuado

“I started painting a chiclero, because I had seen him on the street and I always saw him, so he painted a chiclero and I decided to do it like an animal and use bright colors, because I wanted to paint something and be happy . , also because my mother always let me paint animals. They came out easily for me,” says the artist about his work, who has been trained in new perspective techniques through various courses and training courses.

Now that he has settled in Canada, since he married his wife, Federico says Guayaquil will continue to be his source of inspiration. “I always thought it was very special how people are, how we are in Guayaquil and what mannerisms we have when we speak. Plus she was more into it when I met my wife who is Canadian. Painting Guayaquil is telling these stories that make us Guayaquil, that represent us and I think by bringing it here to Canada I can give it more exposure.”

For now, Federico is preparing for his upcoming exhibitions in that North American country. At the top of his list is the Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival. It will be followed by an exhibition at the Slice of Life gallery and at The Kube, scheduled for 2024. “In the beginning it was difficult for me to become known because unlike Guayaquil where we all know each other and it is a lot was easier to socialize , here it is completely different. In addition, we have a different language. This is huge, you have many exhibitions and competitions that you can participate in. I have participated in many calls for artists. And I’ve been lucky enough to participate in making murals. I feel I still have a lot to say about Ecuador”.

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