Minas: A Collage of Power, Morality, and Contemporary Identity

Minas’s multidisciplinary practice emerges as a compelling testament to the fluidity of identity and the interplay between personal, cultural, and global narratives. Born in Quito, Ecuador, Minas’s work traces a journey of self-discovery shaped by a rich tapestry of experiences across continents and cultural spheres.

Minas’s early explorations as a young queer individual in Montreal were pivotal to his artistic awakening. Immersed in the vibrancy of the nightlife and ballroom scenes, he embraced his flamboyance and began to challenge conventional notions of gender and identity. Montreal offered a liberating contrast to the prejudices of his conservative upbringing in Ecuador and the regimented environment of a British boarding school. This newfound freedom fostered a rebellious, colorful aesthetic influenced by the diverse tribes and aesthetics of internet culture, which played a crucial role in his self-acceptance and creative expression.

Upon returning to Quito, Minas’s work evolved as he grappled with the complexities of identity within his homeland. Rejecting folkloric clichés often associated with Ecuadorian art, Minas instead embraced the idiosyncrasies of his multifaceted background. His identity is a dynamic interplay of influences—rooted in the landscapes and traditions of Ecuador’s countryside yet shaped equally by the cosmopolitan exposure of living in Canada, the UK, and the digital age. His passion for literature and philosophy further deepens the conceptual rigor of his practice.

Minas’s large-scale collages serve as visual metaphors for this complexity. Layered and multifaceted, they reflect the amalgamation of his influences, embodying a contemporary identity that is at once deeply personal and universally resonant. For Minas, identity is not a fixed construct but an evolving narrative, constantly reshaped by the ebb and flow of external and internal forces. His work invites viewers to reflect on their own journeys of self-definition, offering a nuanced perspective on what it means to be both rooted in one’s heritage and a citizen of the world.

Collage Grande Series, 2024

Minas’s Collage Grande Series transcends the boundaries of conventional artistic expression, serving as intricate explorations of the dualities that define both personal and collective existence. At the heart of these works lies a profound meditation on the dichotomies of power and morality, ecstasy and discipline, and self-interest and conscience. Through a dynamic interplay of imagery, materials, and references, Minas constructs layered narratives that grapple with the complexities of the human condition.

In the Collage Grande Series, Minas delves into the tension between his Dionysian and Apollonian instincts—the hedonistic impulse for ecstasy, sex, intoxication, and chaos colliding with the rational drive for discipline, ambition, and structured success. This internal conflict is not merely introspective but resonates universally, reflecting the broader societal struggles between indulgence and control, freedom and restraint.

Minas situates these philosophical explorations within the contemporary zeitgeist by incorporating references to science, technology, robotics, atomic weapons, celebrity culture, and music. These elements anchor the Collage Grande Series in the present, critiquing the forces shaping our modern world while offering a mirror to the viewer’s own experiences and contradictions. Simultaneously, Minas bridges the present and the past by appropriating imagery from art history. By recontextualizing canonical motifs, he creates a dialogue that interrogates the relevance and reinterpretation of historical narratives in a world increasingly dominated by technological and cultural acceleration.

Underlying the Collage Grande Series is a fascination with the future—both utopian and dystopian. Minas’s collages contemplate imagined futures, envisioning possibilities that range from harmonious coexistence to chaotic disarray. This forward-looking perspective underscores his broader meditation on the flux of identity and the continuous construction of self amidst the pressures of morality, culture, and technology.

Through a visual language that is as multifaceted as his identity, the Collage Grande Series invites viewers to engage with the contradictions and tensions that define our era. These works are at once deeply personal and universally evocative, urging audiences to reflect on their own struggles, aspirations, and the narratives that shape their understanding of power, morality, and the self.