Edgar Calel studied at the Escuela Nacional de Arte Rafael Rodríguez Padilla.
2023 Biennial Year Find out more
He works in a variety of media, exploring the complexities of the indigenous experience, as seen through the Mayan Kaqchikel cosmovision, spirituality, rituals, community practices, and beliefs, in juxtaposition with the systematic racism and exclusion that the indigenous people of Guatemala endure on a daily basis.
He recently had his first solo Pa Ru Tun Che ́ (From a Tree Top) at Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City, (2021);and has participated in numerous group exhibitions including Is It Morning for You Yet?, 58th Carnegie International, Pittsburgh (2022); The Crack Begins Within, 11th Berlin Biennial, Berlin (2020); Los Jardineros (The Gardeners), Proyectos Ultravioleta, Guatemala City (2020); Continuous Fire | Feu continuel, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario (2019); Virginia Pérez Ratton. Centroamérica: Deseo de lugar /Centra America, MUAC Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City (2019)His works are part of the permanent collections of Tate, UK; Museo Nacional Centro de ArteReina Sofía, Madrid, Spain; the National Gallery of Canada, Ontario; Fundación TEOR/ética,San José, Costa Rica; MADC Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, San José, CostaRica; and Kadist, San Francisco. Additionally, he has participated in artistic residenciesincluding Tropical Papers (2021); Residencia Rua do Sol, Portugal (2019), and at Lastroresearch platform, Brazil, 2015), amongst others.
Liverpool Biennial 2023
'Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el (The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge)' (2021)
Calel explores Indigenous experience through the beliefs and practices of his Mayan Kaqchikel heritage. His art celebrates the traditions and spirituality of his community in Guatemala, whilst also acting as a form of resistance in the wake of ongoing racism, social exclusion and cultural erasure of Indigenous people.
In the Mayan tradition, objects are often not owned by one person but instead, certain families or individuals act as custodians on behalf of the community. With this in mind, the work is in Tate’s collection under a custodianship agreement, rather than outright ownership. The piece exists not as a sculpture or installation, but as an offering to thank the land and Calel’s ancestors.
In the artist’s home, stories from dreams are shared amongst
Calel explores Indigenous experience through the beliefs and practices of his Mayan Kaqchikel heritage. His art celebrates the traditions and spirituality of his community in Guatemala, whilst also acting as a form of resistance in the wake of ongoing racism, social exclusion and cultural erasure of Indigenous people. In the Mayan tradition, objects are often not owned by one person but instead, certain families or individuals act as custodians on behalf of the community. With this in mind, the work is in Tate’s collection under a custodianship agreement, rather than outright ownership. The piece exists not as a sculpture or installation, but as an offering to thank the land and Calel’s ancestors. In the artist’s home, stories from dreams are shared amongst families over breakfast and are understood to foretell the energy for the day or task ahead. For Calel, dreams, art and spirituality are always interconnected and here, they have determined the specific produce which is on offer as thanks. Stones become sacred sites of ritual, and the fruit and vegetables on the top – some local and some ‘exotic’ – have been placed during a private ritual during the exhibition installation. Each time the work is shown, the title also changes as Calel is writing a poem over time. ‘The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge’ is both material and ritual – it acts as a container for an ancient form of knowledge and an act of resistance in its presentation and celebration of ancestral practices.
'Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el (The Echo of an Ancient Form of Knowledge)' (2021)
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Edgar Calel, ‘Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el' 2021. Liverpool Biennial 2023 at Tate Liverpool. Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial. Photography by Mark McNulty
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Edgar Calel, ‘Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el' 2021. Liverpool Biennial 2023 at Tate Liverpool. Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial. Photography by Mark McNulty
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Edgar Calel, ‘Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el' 2021. Liverpool Biennial 2023 at Tate Liverpool. Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial. Photography by Stuart Whipps
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Edgar Calel, ‘Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el' 2021. Liverpool Biennial 2023 at Tate Liverpool. Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial. Photography by Stuart Whipps
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Edgar Calel, ‘Ru k’ox k’ob’el jun ojer etemab’el' 2021. Liverpool Biennial 2023 at Tate Liverpool. Courtesy of Liverpool Biennial. Photography by Stuart Whipps
