Peter Cordova

Drawing on images from his birthplace in the Philippines or his abiding interest in Native American culture, Peter Cordova (b. 1966), uses ink and watercolor to create detailed glimpses into various aspects of these ways of life. Everything is included, from carefully delineated tools and instruments to accurate yet stylized depictions of topography, so that the completed piece emulates an eyewitness account. "I want to speak for myself through my art. I try to share my heritage with other people." The weight of his line varies to emphasize the important aspects of his complex compositions, but Cordova states "Your art doesn’t have to be perfect all the time. I like the hard ones, the difficult lines."

Cordova is also an accomplished ceramicist. The carefully incised marks that adorn his clay forms–often elaborately worked masks or vessels–echo the precise qualities found in his drawings, while the forms themselves add an element of abstraction to his otherwise representational art practice. He has been working at Creativity Explored since 1996. Cordova explains his enthusiasm for greeting and interacting with gallery patrons as such: "If people are not willing to see what you express, how do they know, if you are not telling them?"