Sergio Guarachi

I started seriously playing with paper when I was 8 years old, shortly thereafter I quickly learned as much as I could about origami. I obtained a degree in fine arts with a specialty in ceramics at the Hernando Siles National Academy of Fine Arts in La Paz, Bolivia. My love for paper as a medium has taken me into a crusade to try to push the limits of this medium by creating sculptures that combine my extensive experience with origami with my training in traditional sculpture. I also try to explore the possibilities of creating textures on the surfaces of my sculptures that make them look as if they were made with other materials. 

For some of my sculptures I recycle old bank notes, taking advantage of their colors, textures, and figures. I simply love playing with paper, even though I also keep working on ceramic sculptures and other alternative mediums. My efforts are starting to pay off, as my paper sculptures have recently received awards at national fine arts contests, where paper was rarely present as an accepted medium for sculpture. 

To my knowledge, those have been the first occasions in Bolivia where paper sculptures have received such recognitions. I was also invited in 2022 to exhibit my paper sculptures at a solo show at the City of La Paz House of Culture Franz Tamayo, a prestigious venue for plastic artists in Bolivia. I hope to continue exploring, through my work, the endless possibilities of paper.