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Enrique Bustamante

Historian, lecturer, teacher and artist, Enrique Bustamante was born in Piura on September 9, 1942. He was educated in the capital, and later outside Peru, and is considered the finest naïf painter in the country. His professional career began in 1963 after graduating from Pontificia Universidad Católica with a degree in fine arts and taking numerous courses in different academies.

Bustamante's canvases depict the flora and fauna of America in general and that of Peru in particular. Endangered species are a favorite theme of his. Although over the years he has worked in many different media, today he tends to prefer acrylics for his patient, detailed paintings. Each such creative work can take weeks and even months to complete.

Occasionally venturing into handicrafts such as ceramics, batik, art glass and textile design, Bustamante has also tried his hand at the graphic arts, advertising art, jewelry and clothing design, murals and stage sets. The artist is highly respected wherever his work is known.

"I'd describe my work as simple and ingenuous," he confides. "Our plants and animals provide a motivation, and I try to transmit a feeling of respect for nature."

Bustamante's prize-winning work has been exhibited throughout Latin America and Europe.