by Luis Valle
Also known as El Chan Guri, Valle is also painting the 2018 Miami Book Fair poster image on the wall of a bus shelter at Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus, home of the Fair.
Valle is deeply involved in the Miami art scene, and is a well-respected member of the community. He works closely with grass-roots organizations, creating murals and art pieces throughout South Florida and the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. His style can be easily recognized, as it is a blend of influences from indigenous cultures, psychology, shamanism, religion, and spirituality.
“Mother nature is in full bloom and doing her best to replenish the earth with vital life force. The young Jaguar prince sits on her roots protected by her shade and energy. He is gaining knowledge as he reads, while learning vital information he will need as he grows older and takes his place as King. His job will be to help restore harmony with nature on the earth. The Quetzal is his faithful messenger and guide on his journey to become king. The wise tortoise provides the king with extra books of knowledge he will need in order to complete his destiny.
The artwork is a symbolic image containing influences from a few different cultures. The cherry blossoms in bloom represent the beauty and richness of life. It also shows how life can be very beautiful but you need to enjoy it cause it is short and fleeting like the cherry blossoms. It is also a tribute to nature and the wonderful creatures we share the planet with. Hopefully it helps serve as a reminder that we need to do a better job on as humans on this planet and learn to become harmonious with nature.”