Jacqueline Unanue

My paintings derive from my former research in rock art, from my interest in ancient systems of writing—like ideograms, pictograms, and alphabets, from dream images and sometimes from a spontaneous painting technique. These sources provide me with geometric shapes and primal elements, like stars, suns, moons, cosmic seeds, elemental matter and sometimes figural forms, all of which travel in an evolving world, floating across the virgin earth, archaic oceans, and cosmic spaces. These images are a universal yet mysterious writing that directs me to my collective unconscious and reminds me that I have existed since time immemorial.

These current works are part of The Labyrinths series, which have originated in spontaneously done ink drawings. I used parts of these drawings to create the pathways of the labyrinths. For me, they are roads that can lead to my native Chilean landscape and to my people. On some of the canvases, along the borders of these routes, I wrote my thoughts and feelings about my search. In doing so, I am trying to make my imaginary journey actually happen, just as those who made prehistoric rock art used paintings and engravings to reach or obtain what they desired. On some canvasses, I paint with soil from Chile, which “certifies” the reality of my destination.  At the same time, I am using the soil as a magical substance whose power can turn my imaginary journey into a real one.