Ana Teresa Barboza

Nunu Fine Art New York is pleased to present In a State of Latency, a solo exhibition by Peruvian multimedia artist Ana Teresa Barboza. The artist’s process includes utilizing traditional techniques and native plant life, while collaborating with local artisans. The resulting textiles and ceramic sculptures explore the interplay between natural environments and indigenous communities.

In a State of Latency investigates the relationship between the native plants and people of the Piura dry forest of northern Peru with the region’s cyclical climatic oscillations; all life there depends on short regenerative rainy periods punctuating long dry seasons. Barboza remarks on the tenacity of Piura plant life, which “can survive in adverse conditions... always waiting for favorable conditions to emerge from the earth.” Likewise, Barboza’s utilization of ancient indigenous craft traditions still in practice reflects the resilience of the region’s inhabitants.

Barboza endeavors to encapsulate the essence of Piura's dry forests by harnessing its materials. Central to the artist’simmersive practice is her meticulous selection of indigenous plants, from which she extracts pigments to create dyes for her textiles. According to Barboza, these dyes “initiate an exchange of local information and connect us with the territory.” Her textiles evoke the impermanence of nature, bearing traces of rainwater from the wet season. The exhibition also includessculptural elementssuch as Barboza’s ceramic versions of carob seeds, created from local clay.

Barboza’s work encapsulates the transformation of a desert environment into a lush forest, revealing how the region’s fluctuating environmental forces impact local life. Her work masterfully exudes a palpable connection to tradition and territorial knowledge, bridging the gap between Piura's landscapes and the gallery space.

Multimedia Peruvian artist Ana Teresa Barboza was born in Lima and lives and works in Lobitos, Piura, Peru. Barboza’s practice is rooted in her examination of natural environments and local cultures. In 2022, the artist had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Latin American Art in Buenos Aires. In 2021, she participated in the Bienal de Arte Paiz in Antigua, Guatemala. Barboza has also taken part in group exhibitions at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid. Nunu Fine Art presented Barboza’s first solo exhibition in Asia and has included her in two group exhibitions. Barboza received her BFA from the College of Fine Arts at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) in Lima.