Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa

Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa lives and works in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The Guatemalan Civil War (1960-96) is a recurring subject in his work, which–although often softened by a humorous approach–fails to conceal the force of history that precedes it. Through performance and installation work, the artist portrays the complexity of his experience during the war and his life as a child refugee in Canada.

For Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, the artist is returning to his early exposure to experimental theatre in 1970s Guatemala during his childhood. Figueroa created props, costumes, and masks for the five characters—an oligarch, a dictator, a soldier, a cardinal, and a scarecrow—featured in El corazón del espantapájaros (Heart of the Scarecrow), a play by Guatemalan playwright Hugo Carrillo (1929–1994). Despite the critical success of the play in the 1960s, a 1975 student production faced brutal repression and censorship, which led to the cancellation of the show and the company’s entire theatrical season. Actors will stage a series of performances in which they engage with these props.

Ramírez-Figueroa has participated in various solo and group exhibitions, and he recently created a new installation of sculptures for the 10th Gwangju Biennale. He is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Franklin Furnace Award, and an Akademie Schloss Solitude Fellowship. He holds a BFA from Emily Carr University and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.