Guido Garaycochea

Garaycochea was born in Lima, Peru in 1961. He studied Art and Teaching of Art at the "Escuela Nacional Superior de Bellas Artes del Perú", a very strict and conservative school of beauty Art. He graduated from Art School with several awards and honors. A couple of years later, he decided to moved to Chile to have a brief break and continue studying and developing his Art. The 1980’s for Perú were a strong time because of Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path); Peruvian terrorists and at the beginning of the 90’s the country was virtually in a civil war. Garaycochea decided that was a good time to immigrate for at least some time to another country.

In 1992-93 he moved to Chile and resumed his studies, and spent 12 years there. He studied History of Art, Aesthetic and Theory of Art. He also taught for more than 7 years in two important Chilean Universities. ( Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educacion ) At the same time he had more than fifteen Solo Art Shows and more group Art Exhibitions in countries such as: Germany, Spain, Austria, Perú and Chile and the United States.

Duality has been the principal theme of his work. He is trying to explore inside the depths of the human being, particularly inside himself, expressing through his visual work, his own contradictions, his own dual feelings, and also his deepest human characteristics.

When he paints, he is thinking of visual spaces, interior landscapes where freedom is given in amounts he allows to flow. He tries to invite the spectator to discover, with his use of gold, the duality of the human being that has been present throughout history. He also invites the viewer to discover fragments caused by permanent fractures in the being and to search for a balance, which obviously, will never be found.

Garaycochea moved to the United States in the Fall of 2003, to become an International Artist in Resident at The Griffis Art Center in New London, CT and later in 2005 at I-Park in East Haddam, CT. He currently teaches at Mitchell College in new London, University of Connecticut at Avery Point, TRCC and the Mystic Arts Center at the State Correctional through TRCC. Guido founded Expressiones Virtual Gallery in 2000, Latins in the Borough Art Gallery in Stonington in 2007 and now Expressiones  Cultural Center in New London, CT in 2009.  He is also an active member of many cultural and Art organizations.