WATER IN THE DESERT. An event to benefit The New Mexico Water Collaborative

You are invited to Water in the Desert 09.26.2015 

12 pieces of artwork by Michael Ayala and ten more local artists.  Sawmill Lofts. 1801 Bellamah NW. Albuquerque, NM.(corner of 18th & Bellemah)

Mixed Media on canvas 35,56 cm x 28 cm. Photo by. Dan Busbey 2015

Mixed Media on canvas 35,56 cm x 28 cm. Photo by. Dan Busbey 2015

Hermanos de agua I. Mixed media on canvas, 30,5cm x 30,5cm. Photo by Dan Busbey 2015

Some History:

Michael Ayala was born in 1969, in Quito, Ecuador. Self-taught artist, started very young with naturalist drawing and paintings, representing mainly nature (plants and animals). He started painting with oil paint. Later on, around 1987, he continued exploring unusual materials such as dirt, sand, clay, natural pigments and fibers, inspired on Ecuadorian and Latin American artists. Ayala started his first experiments with terracotta and ceramics motivated by Ecuadorian traditions in 1990. Then, in 1995 he learnt about the use of pigments and glazes while working with high temperature ceramics in Canada. In 2002, he got a certificate of Master in Ceramics, and his work with pigments, glazes and high fire incorporated contemporary trends in his creations.

Hermanos de agua II. Mixed media on canvas, 30,5cm x 30,5cm. Photo by Dan Busbey 2015

In spite of his commitment with ceramics, he never stopped painting with oil paint, acrylics, and natural pigments. He also included other media such as seeds, sand, volcanic ashes, and recycled materials. A tour that included a number of countries in North and South America provided him with the opportunity to interact with relevant contemporary artists, traditional artisans. He got immersed into the best of the universal art of all times in the early 1990s. At his return to Ecuador, he opened his first solo show at the Colonial Art Museum in Quito. This 1996 show included a collection of artwork produced in New York, Toronto and Mexico, which formally started his career as an artist.

In 1999, Michael Ayala moved to the Galapagos Islands; there he worked on a collection of paintings inspired on the wonderful landscape and biological diversity of the islands. He also explored and challenged the different environmental issues in the Galapagos through his work with local communities, including farmers and fishermen.

The island of drought mixed media on canvas 30cm x 30cm Photo by: Dan Busbey

Ayala´s artwork (drawings, paintings, ceramics, textiles, and jewelry) has been featured in several group shows at museums and cultural centers, in Ecuador, the United States of America, Canada, Colombia, Spain, Chile, and Australia. In addition, his ceramics have been exported all over the world, especially to the Canary Islands, where he shows his art in a periodical basis. He has also got solo shows in museums and art galleries in Ecuador, Australia and the United States. He lived and worked in Queensland, Australia. His research was focused on environmental education and natural resources management. He also worked as a scientific writer in topics related to sustainable development. In 2013, Michael Ayala moved to Ecuador and worked as faculty of the department of agricultural sciences at the Central University in Quito, Ecuador.

Ayala moved to New Mexico in January 2015 where he is pursuing a PhD program focusing on participatory watershed management, which is the motivation for him to participate in this show “Water in the Desert”.