In my early years in the countryside of Chile where I grew up, I was influenced by politics, spiritualism and country life. I grew up in a small village that was calm and slow paced. People worked the land; they relied on nature and the weather for their livelihood. The political changes in Chile created divisions among people in my village and disrupted this life. In those tumultuous times I met my mentor — a shaman — who helped me see beauty and tranquility even in those times.

By interconnecting these influences I have created a parallel world absent of humans and machines, where the animals play human roles. It is the animals themselves that poke fun at human beliefs and actions.

I use traditional symbols and familiar animals so that people can have a connection with the picture and so that its main focus is immediate. I want to show that our ideas about human life are often dogmatic, that we are not the central protagonists in nature and that we often do not recognize these things. My pictures are humorous depictions of social and political issues that cover a range of topics from immigration to organized religion.

I use bright colors to energize the paintings, but I depict water and sky to add a sense of space and serenity to my work. Through these things I want to neutralize any negativity in my work. Even though the topic may be challenging, I do not want to convey chaos and ugliness.