Murciélago paraguayito, 2022

The project encompasses two senses, one of them being a call for Paraguayan sensitivity, as well as current visibility and a place for contemporary Paraguayan art. My attempt to paint and talk about my origins has been a significant step in my development as a Paraguayan artist. On the right of the painting, we see the character holding a bombilla, a tool used for drinking mate, a national drink of Paraguay. Maté growing in Canada made me realize that indigenous culture from Paraguay has been ignored as something mythical, just as settlers were speaking about Canada's first nations, which is still a contemporary problem with Guarani culture. Mate has made a name for itself, but most importers refer to it as a south american plant or even an argentinian tea, when it is actually guarani, as the name first suggests. In another sense, it touches upon memories of taste: in a deep self-research, I was trying to recall senses I had forgotten, and one of them was the taste of Nispero. Its scientific name is Eriobotrya japonica and it is native to Japan. As a result of its acclimatization to our soil and temperature conditions, it grows and bears fruit in Paraguay. My house in Paraguay had a nispero tree where a lot of bats would come to feast on its fruits. Hence the name murciélago paraguayito, which means paraguayan little bat.