Kateřina Karásková, an artist who volunteered as an international accompanier in Guatemala through GSN, has opened her first exhibition in Prague called "People of Maize", depicting people from her time in Guatemala. Kateřina explains on her website:"Last year I spent 6 months in the Guatemalan countryside. I was working for an international accompaniment project in villages that were destroyed in 1982 during the civil war. During my stay I made many portraits of the inhabitants who had survived the massacres in their villages. I also painted scenes from everyday life of the Mayan people, particularly the women. I want my pictures to help raise more awareness about the situation in Guatemala and its history so we never stay indifferent to any human rights violations happening around the world.
The exhibition will include Paintings, Photographs, examples of local children's artwork and explanations of the situation of the Maya people in Guatemala past and present."
The exhibition will include Paintings, Photographs, examples of local children's artwork and explanations of the situation of the Maya people in Guatemala past and present."
The painting above is called Juana II. Kateřina says: "Juana was lucky, she managed to survived along with the rest of her family. When the soldiers came they were not in the village. She is well respected because she is a midwife helping women to give birth to more local children".
Kateřina talks about her time in Guatemala and the historical context to these paintings in more detail here on her website.
