Breath (Sikus)
Acrylic and hand Embroidery on canvas
102 x 76 cm
Breath represents the origin of sound: air becoming vibration. The figure holds a Sikus, an instrument that transforms breath into collective harmony through its multiple pipes. Her eyes remain closed, suggesting listening before expression — a moment of stillness where sound exists first within the body.
In Andean traditions, wind carries memory across mountains and valleys. The hummingbird accompanying the figure reflects this invisible movement of life force, embodying vitality and the quiet transmission of spirit. In this painting, breath is not merely physical; it is the first connection between body, landscape, and sound.
Hand embroidery is woven into each canvas as both material and meaning.
Each stitch honours ancestral textile traditions and the creative legacy of women.