The plastic artist of indigenous origin, Joel Merino López , commented that he would travel to several countries in Europe and South America to participate in art festivals and showcase some of his work.
In order to pay for his travels, he sells arts and crafts made by his family members.
“I am very happy because I will soon be traveling to several cities in Europe and South America to participate in art festivals and galleries,” stated the artist from the Mexican state of Oaxaca .
Merino López stated that he will travel to Europe on July 14 to visit cities such as Brussels, Berlin, Bern, Paris, Brescia, Rovereto, and Barcelona .
“This is why I started selling some huipiles made by my family to pay some of the travel expenses and be able to participate in these events,” he mentioned in an interview with Notimex .
In this sense, Joel Merino expressed that the huipiles were up for sale at the Crafts and Indigenous Development Center of Querétaro (CEDAI) , where he currently lives in.
With his trip to Europe, he intends to represent his people and indigenous culture once again, by showing his paintings and crafts to an international audience.
Meanwhile, Joel Merino López will travel to Uruguay in late September and then to Argentina.
“In Uruguay , I will be participating in a collective exhibition curated by master Juan Cano ,” he stated.
When asked whether he had attained any kind of government financing for his travels, he replied: “Mexico’s government polities are not made to promote culture or language.”
Due to a lack of government funding, he now must sell arts and crafts to save up enough money to go to Europe. “I’m used to it, it’s not the first time I cross the pond,” he commented.
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