To celebrate the reinstallation of the Art of the Indigenous Americas galleries, curators Chelsea Dacus and Elizabeth Essner speak with renowned Peruvian-born contemporary artist Kukuli Velarde, whose work is frequently in dialogue with Indigenous traditions and colonial histories. Several of Velarde’s works from the MFAH collection are on view as part of a special installation in the Law Building. 

Velarde’s striking ceramic figures resemble certain objects in the MFAH collection, including sculptures created by people from the Olmec and Nayarit cultures of Mexico, and a Moche vessel from Peru. Installed alongside each other, the pieces create a new conversation that spotlights both contemporary craft and Indigenous arts of South America.

Plan Your Visit

• This program is included with Museum admission.
• The lecture takes place in the Lynn Wyatt Theater in the Kinder Building. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map

About the Speaker
Kukuli Velarde is a Peruvian-American artist based in Philadelphia. She specializes in painting, ceramic sculpture, and issues of gender and colonialism in Latin American contemporary culture. Velarde is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Evelyn Shapiro Foundation Fellowship, and many others.