Ursula Nunez was born Ursula Cornejo-Soto at Arequipa, Peru in1963.
''I have lived, studied and worked in Peru (Bachelor in Fine Arts), USA (Master in Fine Arts), Thailand, Switzerland and Spain. Its various cultures and art traditions influenced not only my creative processes but also enriched my technical knowledge as a sculptor and printmaker. Ancient and new techniques in both medias helped me create an imaginary rich in metaphoric forms and landscape inspired subject-matters.
Because of this nomadic way of life, it has been essential to adapt my ideas to the available workspace and materials of each country. This challenge has enriched my artistic expression without changing my main inspirational themes: nature and womanhood, these were just altered to include the environment that surrounded me at that period. Ex: Pittsburgh and its steel mills; Bangkok and its luxurious nature in contrast with the high rising buildings and skyways.
This is one of the reasons why I have produced a wide-ranging body of work: my three-dimensional works began with a series of wood carved sculptures inspired of Noguchi’s works (Peru, 1987). These were followed by wood and steel works, welded steel and bronze casting sculptures made in direct wax modelling (USA, 1988-93) this was a period of technical experimentation while searching to define my artistic language and interests. While I was in USA and Thailand, I had also produced prints: collagraphs and intaglio (one of them received an Honorable Mention at the XXVIII Salón Nacional de Grabado ICPNA in Lima, Peru) and mixed-media artworks. All my collagraphs were built out of recycled materials.
In 2000, while in Switzerland, I worked on a series of mixed-media polychromed sculptures mixing recycled materials with plaster and inks. During this period, I worked as an art teacher and my interest in using recycled materials increased; some of my class-projects were about recycling materials.
The other reason is that as a creative person I like to experiment and to try different viewpoints to arrive at the imagined result, and also love trying new materials and techniques. I believe it is essential for me as an artist to master different medias and techniques to give me all the chances to realize my ideas as close possible as I imagined them. Internet is a great tool to find ideas and technical solutions and to exchange with people from all over the world!
Several years have passed before I could have the time and the space to undertake my woodcarving activities. My new series of wood sculptures Circulos Intemporaneos (Timeless Circles), is the outcome of five years of work in Alicante, Spain, where I moved in 2017.
I consider myself an artist-object-maker more than a conceptual artist. My work has been included by the Michelangelo Foundation in their Guide of Master Artisans of Europe.
It is impossible for me to separate my artistic background from the fine craft artisans’ traditions. How can I create a high-quality wood sculpture if I don’t master the “doing” part of each artwork? My wood sculptures are like three-dimensional poems. The titles give you a hint of the subject-matter, the sea related themes are autobiographical metaphors that can be reinterpreted by each viewer.''
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