BIOGRAPHY ENRIQUE OLIVA LARA.
Born eighty-six years ago in Peru, and since 1986 resident in the Spanish island of Gran Canaria, Lara lived some years in Mexico, where he trained as a muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros. Heir to the Mexican muralist movement and the Peruvian indigenismo that emerged in the 20s and lasted until the 40\'s of last century.
 Despite having spent more than half his life outside Peru (among other studies investigated in Japan techniques applied in the realization of his paintings), Lara has a close relationship with their roots and traditions of Peruvian culture. In his view, the art forms of the Spanish conquest prior to the pre-Columbian cultures are in place, and are a direct source of inspiration for his works. He not capitulated its Peruvian culture and perhaps the distance stressed the need to evoke in their voluntary displacement.
His work falls within the indigenismo, a cultural movement emerged in Peru in years? 20? 30 of the last century, driven by figures like the writer José María Arguedas and the painter José Sabogal. Indigenism was spouting expression of a middle class that sought to define their identity to European cultural models then in force in Latin America. The close relationship with Lara painting and contemporary pre-Columbian indigenous imagination is evident in the titles of the series in which the painter brings together his works, as well as the choice of motifs.
    Peruvian indigenous languages ​​have named series as Mamakuna (Mom), Rawa (Burning Fire) and Machuyaku (Big Sea), as well as individual works as Ylla Kusi (Ventura), Challwa (Fish) and Tumi (ceremonial Knife Pre-Hispanic) cultures. Other series are titled in Castilian, including ceramics, Deep Sea, Andean and Ancients, although its content also shows a close relationship with the past.
    Lara works can be grouped in two ways. In a grounds they have a purely figurative character, as is the case of the figures of the series Mamakuna and ceramics. The first female figures with hats, ponchos and wide skirts, typical garments are the indigenous population. In the second series the artist painted ceramic pieces whose motives are related to pieces of pre-Columbian times.
    The second aspect of the work has a less figurative, with geometric elements that awaken associations with animals, birds and fish mixture, and elements such as water and fire. In other cases, as in Tumi, the structure of the composition is based on vertical and horizontal lines. The palette is vivid color, with a strong presence of red, blue and yellow. Some examples are mentioned Ylla Kusi, Challwa and Deep Sea. Lara said: My art is colorful, the world needs color and joy and I\'m not gray, when I see gray, I put red and yellow, to be cheerful. Pre-Columbian artists only thought in color ?.
On the occasion of celebrating the 190th anniversary of the independence of Peru, the Peruvian embassy Lara Oliva invited to exhibit their work at the Zorrilla Museum. They are paintings done in mixed media on cardboard in recent years, small format (33 x 24, 38 x 53) to facilitate transfer accompanying the traveling artist.

     Lara has been several times in Montevideo (where your favorite places are the Center, the South Quarter and Old Town) because it performs frequent visits to Argentina and other countries of our region. The painter recalls being in the Cafe San Rafael met Mario Benedetti (who had met in Havana shortly before) and decided to make a trade of their respective works. Benedetti gave several of his books to Lara, which he reciprocated with two paintings. As for the books, the painter recognizes that? After reading them I was giving away ?.