Artists
The Iguana Tranquila showcases art from some of Costa Rica’s most renowned including Juan Carlos Camacho, Arturo Solano, Esther Luz, Hannie Goldgewicht, Leonel Gotlibowski and more. In addition to these well known artists the Iguana Tranquila has uncovered many lesser known artists whose work has not been popularized and will not be found in other art galleries around Costa Rica.
Juan Carlos Camacho
Juan Carlos Camacho is both an architect and one of the most renowned landscape watercolorists in Costa Rica as demonstrated by his first place award in the Ministry of Culture’s Rural Landscape Competition in 2003. He was born and currently lives in Heredia where the surrounding landscape of Costa Rica’s Central Valley has clearly inspired much of his work. Many of his pieces portray panoramic views highlighting the relationship between the region’s natural landscape of green rolling hills and architectural elements such as churches and other landmarks from rural communities. His work has been exhibited in the finest galleries and museums throughout Costa Rica as well as many of Europe’s artistic centers including Paris, Rome and Valencia…and now in the Iguana Tranquila.
Hannie Goldgewicht
Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Hannie Goldgewicht creates one-of-a-kind, hand made ceramic and pine needle basketry. Her interest in integrating different materials was developed during her years of study at the fine arts school at the University of Costa Rica where she experimented with wood, metal and ceramics. From her experience in ceramics and the technique of pine needle basketry that she acquired in Argentina came the idea of integrating and combining the two to form these unique creations. Together with her husband Leonel Gotlibowski, who is also an artist, designer and jeweler, they created the series of human indigenous sculptures on display at the Costarrican Precolombian Gold Museum. Leonel also expresses his sculptural background in a series of unique sterling silver designs that are inspired by Costarrican flora and fauna and are cast using the lost wax technique.
Arturo Solano
Originally a sculptor, Arturo Solano started to craft bowls and trays using the trunk bases of the finest Costa Rican hardwoods include Cocobolo (Rosewood), Ron Ron, Mora and Guapinol. He cuts huge cubes with a chainsaw out of the trunks of trees and then works them on a lathe in his workshop in Alajuela. He masterly plays with the different tones and textures of the wood creating incredible natural patterns and designs. He deliberately does not remove all the irregularities of the trunks: holes from branches as well as ducts of beetles. The surface of all pieces is highly polished and treated with flaxseed oil to enhance the natural coloration and patterning. He strictly uses trunks from windfall and roots and is reforesting his farm with native species.
Eladio Alpizar
Eladio Alpizar is an undiscovered wood carver from San Ramón who creates incredibly unique art depicting scenes from traditional Costa Rican life. His pieces are available as individual works or as series which tell the story of Tico life such as the growing, harvesting and roasting of coffee. The Iguana Tranquila is one of few galleries at which you can find Eladio’s work.
