Chicha Street is an exhibition of handmade posters and customised traditional Peruvian objects by Peruvian designer and street artist Elliot “Tupac” Urcuhuaranga. Chicha Street is the first solo UK exhibition of Tupac’s work, presented by Wasps Studios at South Block. Elliot Tupac specialised in screen-printing and lettering. He positions himself as the leading force behind the ‘Chicha art’ movement, an aesthetic tradition with a rich social history. Elliot was born in Lima but his parents are from Huancayo a place in the centre of the Andes where Chicha culture has its roots. This area suffered from an outburst of terrorism during the early 80's that caused many people to leave their homes and seek a new life in the coastal cities, mainly in Lima for years to come.
His father alongside with a few other immigrants to the capital, developed the Chicha Poster that will emerge as visual advertisement for the Chicha music concerts and parties back in 1980’s, this term defined the fusion of Amazonian cumbia music and rock with more traditional Peruvian styles such as huayno.
However it wasn’t until later that the term was used in a broader sense, defining not just the music, but the entire culture that surrounded it. There is nothing that represents Chicha culture better than these visually arresting screen-printed posters that advertise the concerts and festivals of this uniquely Peruvian movement. These posters are screenprinted on newsprint paper in fluorescent colours typically with a strong black background resemble 'Quechua Wanka' textiles from Huancayo area. The designs are drafted by hand and with extraordinary skill, each layer of colour the result of a hand cut paper stencil. Intensive, fluorescent and ubiquitous, they have become an integral in defining Peru’s urban identity.
Tupac has displayed his work internationally, including exhibitions at Rio Negro University in Patagonia, Argentina; Pixelatioons 2013 in Cordova, Argentina; and the Fundación Estándar Bank in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Whilst in the UK, Tupac will also present newly commissioned work with Vamos! – the multi-arts festival based in Newcastle celebrating Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese culture.
This exhibition is sponsored by School of Modern Languages Newcastle University, ¡VAMOS! Festival, D8, The Peruvian Embassy in London.
Wasps Studios have also partnered with Glasgow Print Studio to host two rare chicha posters workshops. For more information on these workshops, visit: http://www.glasgowprintstudio.co.uk/DownloadDocs/ElliotTupacmarketinginfo.pdf
Exhibition Details:
Venue: South Block, 64 Osborne Street, Glasgow, G1 5QH for directions, visit: http://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/studios-spaces/south-block-merchant-city
Preview: Friday 5th June, 6-8pm
Exhibition Continues: 8th June - 2nd August 2015
Workshop at Glasgow Print Studio: Thursday 28th May and Saturday 30th May. 10am - 5pm both days. To book: http://www.glasgowprintstudio.co.uk/DownloadDocs/ElliotTupacmarketinginfo.pdf
Find out more about Elliots processes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR0iDbPKr6Q
http://www.elliottupac.com/
His father alongside with a few other immigrants to the capital, developed the Chicha Poster that will emerge as visual advertisement for the Chicha music concerts and parties back in 1980’s, this term defined the fusion of Amazonian cumbia music and rock with more traditional Peruvian styles such as huayno.
However it wasn’t until later that the term was used in a broader sense, defining not just the music, but the entire culture that surrounded it. There is nothing that represents Chicha culture better than these visually arresting screen-printed posters that advertise the concerts and festivals of this uniquely Peruvian movement. These posters are screenprinted on newsprint paper in fluorescent colours typically with a strong black background resemble 'Quechua Wanka' textiles from Huancayo area. The designs are drafted by hand and with extraordinary skill, each layer of colour the result of a hand cut paper stencil. Intensive, fluorescent and ubiquitous, they have become an integral in defining Peru’s urban identity.
Tupac has displayed his work internationally, including exhibitions at Rio Negro University in Patagonia, Argentina; Pixelatioons 2013 in Cordova, Argentina; and the Fundación Estándar Bank in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Whilst in the UK, Tupac will also present newly commissioned work with Vamos! – the multi-arts festival based in Newcastle celebrating Latin American, Spanish and Portuguese culture.
This exhibition is sponsored by School of Modern Languages Newcastle University, ¡VAMOS! Festival, D8, The Peruvian Embassy in London.
Wasps Studios have also partnered with Glasgow Print Studio to host two rare chicha posters workshops. For more information on these workshops, visit: http://www.glasgowprintstudio.co.uk/DownloadDocs/ElliotTupacmarketinginfo.pdf
Exhibition Details:
Venue: South Block, 64 Osborne Street, Glasgow, G1 5QH for directions, visit: http://www.waspsstudios.org.uk/studios-spaces/south-block-merchant-city
Preview: Friday 5th June, 6-8pm
Exhibition Continues: 8th June - 2nd August 2015
Workshop at Glasgow Print Studio: Thursday 28th May and Saturday 30th May. 10am - 5pm both days. To book: http://www.glasgowprintstudio.co.uk/DownloadDocs/ElliotTupacmarketinginfo.pdf
Find out more about Elliots processes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR0iDbPKr6Q
http://www.elliottupac.com/
