Clown, 2023

Leonardo Aliaga  

Leonardo Aliaga is a recognized Bolivian cartoonist and plastic artist. From an early age he started working as a political and comic cartoonist for newspapers distributed nationwide. In parallel he developed a very successful career as a plastic artist, initially based on his natural inclination towards drawing, and later expanding into painting and printmaking. He did not receive formal training in the fine arts, but his talent and approach to multiple subjects has been recognized with multiple awards.

Aliaga´s pictorial approach centers around social expressionism, at multiple levels, as he draws his inspiration from political and social conflicts, often contrasting them with the joyful and festive demeanor of the traditional Andean festivals and carnivals, which are by themselves filled with comic references, and mockery of Bolivian national life, history, and culture. In the hands of Aliaga the social crossroads and cultural syncretism are reenacted and depicted often with underlying irony at times and at other times with contentment and joy. The movements, the costumes, and language of the traditional Andean dances and their characters are captured with graphical mastery and vivid colors, transporting us to the epicenter of the festivity. 

In his engravings he contrasts dark monochrome backgrounds with few carefully applied color to emphasize the message, the demeanor of the characters, or the crudeness of the topic being denounced. It is no surprise that his unique approach to printmaking has been recognized with multiple awards at a national level. 

Leonardo Aliaga's works are present in all major institutional collections in Bolivia, and in several private collections in Bolivia and abroad.