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Shiroque

"My name is Maximo Silva Chiroque, but as an artist, I'm known as Shiroque. It sounds the same, but by changing the C for an S, it carries the initial of my paternal surname, Silva. I was born November 24, 1955 in La Unión en Piura, a beautiful place beneath a sky illuminated by the radiant sun with green locust tree forests and the song of birds.

"From the time I was a boy, I'd play with the clay I dug from the rivers and ponds near my home that I'd often visit. I soon had to move to Lima where, with much sacrifice, I went to high school. I then entered the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes where I specialized in drawing, painting, ceramics and teaching.

"Each piece that I craft is a little bit of me. The technique is that of my hands, following closely the art of our ancestors. They are unique and very original. I've worked in ceramics for more than 20 years and my motivation comes from the immense cultural richness in every corner of Peru. I strive to transmit this, to reeducate people and raise their consciousness about living in harmony with mother earth.

"The biggest challenge in my life is to give thanks to God for being alive and for being able to take my art to you. But something else that marked my life was during my student years in the heart of the terrorism we went through in those days. I wasn't allowed to sketch my statues publicly because they thought I was a terrorist and was trying to commit an act of destruction. That was a sacrifice and a way to make me stronger in my art.

"I've exhibited my work throughout Peru, including such prestigious venues as the Museum of the Nation (1999), the Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History of Peru (2002) and the Government Palace (2003). It has also be shown in Bremen, Germany (2002), in Miami's 1221 Brickell Avenue Building (2004), in the 2004 Fair of Popular French Art, and in the Artelier East End in Delmenhorst, Germany (2005)."