I miei pensieri

Each one of the subjects of the paintings left me with something. I had to read each one of their stories on Asato's book "No Sabían que Somos Semillas". The picture above belongs to the rugby team "San Luis Club" where Ricardo Dakuyaku was playing  as a scrum. They made it to first division and got to tour around Europe in 1975. Each time someone would tackle Dakuyaku, he would get up smiling. He didn't want his adversaries to know that he was hurting. He also didn't quit trying to play rugby just because they would tell him to quit. He was the shortest rugby player at the time. After I read their chapters, I don't cry for them because their lives were sad, yes, they had a tragic ending, but while they were alive they had a lot to offer to the world. Lots of people loved them. But I cry sometimes because all the potential that we lost when the dictatorship killed them.

Jorge Nakamura, kidnapped on May 6th, 1978 at the age of 21 years old. When I first saw his picture I thought it was going to be a challenge since I couldn't tell how his teeth looked like. When I finished his portrait I was happy, I couldn't stopped smiling back at him, I could tell he was a fun person to be around. I thought that I was able to capture his essence.