Chafil Cheucarama M. is a
Wounaan
The Embera–Wounaan are a semi-nomadic indigenous people in Panama living in Darién Province on the shores of the Chucunaque, Sambú, Tuira Rivers and its waterways. The Embera-Wounaan were formerly and widely known by the name Chocó, and ...
artist and illustrator from
Darién Province,
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
.
Early life
As a child Cheucarama watched his father carved intricate zoomorphic sculptures. He began carving
tagua seeds, known as "vegetable ivory", as well. The linguist Ron Binder noticed Cheucarama's artistic skills in the village of Aruza in the early 1970s. The teenager carved representational toys from
balsa wood.
[Callaghan 28] Binder invited Cheucarama to move to
Alcalde Díaz, where the young man was able to take art classes. Later he earned a degree in
graphic design
Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdiscipli ...
.
["La Riqueza Indígena de Cheucarama."]
''Casamérica.'' Retrieved 28 April 2013.
Art career
The historian
Reina Torres de Araúz
Reina Cristina Torres de Araúz ( Torres Pérez; 30 October 1932 – 26 February 1982) was a prominent Panamanian anthropologist, ethnographer and professor. She is considered to be a "tireless defender" of Panamanian heritage ethnography.
Biogr ...
hired Cheucarama to illustrate several of his books.
[ He was selected as "Panama's best illustrator."][ Representing ]the Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America, North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. ...
, he won first place in an OAS Children's Book Fair in Italy in 1994. Besides drawing with pen and ink, Cheucarama also paints in acrylics.[ He is regarded as one of the most prominent artists in the Wounaan community.][
In 1998, Cheucarama was part of the show, "Tributo a la Patria" (Tribute to the Homeland). In 2010, he exhibited at the Galería Manuel E. Amador in the ]University of Panama
The University of Panama ( es, Universidad de Panamá) was founded on October 7, 1935. Initially, it had 175 students learning education, commerce, natural sciences, pharmacy, pre-engineering or law. , it had 74,059 students distributed in 228 b ...
, as part of the group exhibit, "Expo Docente."
Personal
The artist's son, Lanky Cheucarama is a notable tagua seed carver and a zookeeper at the Summit Zoo for the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.[Lindsay]
"The story of the deer and the frog."
''Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project.'' 9 Feb 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2013.[
]
Published work
* Peña, Toño and Chafil Cheucarama M. ''Jãga wounaanau hãwãrr t'õojẽ: La pesca entre los wounaan.'' Panama. 1979.
References
Books
* Callaghan, Margo M. ''Darién Rainforest Basketry.'' 4th Ed. Sun Lakes, AZ: HPL Enterprises, 2009. .
Further reading
* "Chafil Cheucarama, Jungle Artist, Named Panama's Best Illustrator." ''Notes on Literacy.'' Number 33, 1981.
External links
"Humble Tree Delivers a Dark Surprise,"
with illustrations by Chafil Cheucarama
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheucarama, Cheucarama
Embera-Wounaan
Living people
Panamanian artists
Panamanian people of indigenous peoples descent
Latin American artists of indigenous descent
Year of birth missing (living people)
People from Darién Province