Jose Luis Toaquiza

1986 Born in Tigua, Ecuador
1994 Began his artistic career inspired and guided by his father

Group Exhibitions
2006 “Magic Mountains, Mystic Valleys”, GINA Gallery of International Naןve Art, Tel Aviv
2012 "Past Perfect: The Naןves of North and Central America", GINA Gallery of International Naןve Art, Tel Aviv

The artists of Tigua are famous for their colorful and detailed paintings portraying the traditional life in the remote highlands. Their works, mostly on hide painted with a mixture of acrylic and lacquer, reflect the history, festivals and markets scenes of a people whose traditions date back to pre-Inca times.
In most of the Tigua paintings appear traditional symbols or signs, such as the recurring image of the Cotopaxi, the world’s largest active volcano.
Tigua is a region of small farming communities in Ecuador, southwest of Quito, where most of the people are farmers who cultivate crops and raise herds.
In recent years, artists from Tigua have been exhibiting not only in Ecuador, but also around the world. (The Organization of American States, Washington DC; The University of California Hearst Museum; The Museum of Man in San Diego, California and UNESCO headquarters in Paris)