Original Tigua Paintings

Dramatic Adventure Theatre is commissioning a series of original paintings from Andean artist Magdalena Toaquiza.  An incredibly talented artist in her own right, Magdalena is also the daughter of the Tigua movement founder, Julio Toaquiza.  We have asked her to illustrate scenes from “A Girl Without Wings” and recently received her sketches.  They are stunning.  We love this kind of cross-cultural collaboration!  We can’t wait to see the final paintings.  This is one of the sketches.  How cool is that?

Some info on the inspiration: Williamson’s play is largely influenced by “Tigua paintings,” currently the most famous Andean art form.

Julio Toaquiza, an indigenous Ecuadorian painter and farmer from a small collection of Andean communities called “Tigua,” is credited as the pioneer of this art form as he was the first to transfer ancient folk stories from the oral tradition to pulled sheepskin stretched over wooden frames. This marked the first Quechuan art to appear on a flat surface.

It is now the most popular medium used to convey indigenous stories and even contemporary events.  The paintings are marked by their typically small size, bright colors, vivid details, tendency to personify nature and, in general, by their vibrant depictions of rural life featuring landscapes, festivals, and traditions. Tigua paintings focus on communal life and avoid portraiture and abstract conventions.

A Girl Without Wings strings some of Williamson’s favorite stills together in a poetic and colorful “Tigua painting for the stage.”  Que linda!