Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa

Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa (1978, Guatemala) creates dreamlike works of art taking elements from literature, folklore, magic and childhood memories. His work explores cultural identity and history, trauma, colonisation and the connection between humans and nature. He uses various media such as performance, film, sculpture, painting, and installation. The result is always strongly visual, often with a humorous, playful or absurd side. Certain elements - such as masks or the act of sleeping - recur regularly throughout his oeuvre and are thus given layered meanings, whether literally, figuratively, philosophically, or as metaphors.

Ramírez-Figueroa's work is rooted in experimental theatre and has a political-activist side, often linked to the history of his country. The tragic civil war in Guatemala (1960-1996) is one of the recurring subjects. In his more recent work, themes are broader and reflect ecology, the relationship between humans and nature and the history of raw materials such as tea, cocoa and silk.