Gregg Yupanki Bautista

STATEMENT

At the forefront of my work is a celebration of my Andean heritage. Born in the US to Peruvian immigrants, I grew up in a predominantly Anglo area of NJ, which earned me a bilateral sense of cultural imposter syndrome. I wrestled with this into adulthood as I reflected on my observations of my parents and extended family acclimating to life in America. This directed my interest in how identity is affected by the circumstances of cultural assimilation or integration, displacement, and ideological shifts that result from migration. These shifts are where stories and histories risk being lost.

While my family’s history has always been an area of interest to me, I also started to learn about the conditions that could necessitate migration from the global south or “developing” countries—the nuances of migration for opportunity or from necessity stemming from economic instability, civil unrest, political asylum, or war. The root of which is the devastation from colonization, resource extraction, and capitalism, all of which facilitate the erasure of cultures and memories.

My poetry and paintings are guided by pre-Columbian culture, artifacts, textiles, and histories. As a painter, I attempt to place myself in a role similar to a weaver by interlacing/overlaying references to modernity and eurocentric histories, creating a space functioning like a palimpsest. With the resulting dissonance between spaces, I challenge the structures and subsequent weaponization of political borders, questioning what it means to “belong.” In doing so, I’m forced to explore the lasting effects of colonialism of indigenous lands and cultures, particularly erasure, that are perpetuated in contemporary social systems. Nonetheless, the paintings also serve as tribute to the fortitude and resilience of these cultures throughout history.