Puchi Noriega is a local artist who is originally from Peru and is mostly self taught. Her parents and six siblings worked in a ceramics studio, and she joined them when she was just three years old, so for her art has always been a way of life.
As her talent showed at an early age, it was just natural that as an adult she would win four first prizes at The Richmond Competition in Richmond, VA. She then returned to Peru to teach. Noriega moved to Miami in 1994. In 1997 she founded the first Art Institute of Miami, then the Puchi Art Studio and Falls Art Walk. She lived for a time in Palmetto Bay and currently resides in Cutler Bay.
She has exhibited her work in many galleries and had an exclusive showing of her work sponsored by Art South at the Perrine Community House in Palmetto Bay in 2019.
A few years ago her art became a way of life in a very literal sense, when battling breast cancer. She credits her survival and recovery to her determination to live, and to keep doing the creative work that is so much a part of her. Her paintings and sculpture from that period are striking for the raw emotion they convey. And now she is entering a new phase of art expression that she is excited about.
“I am currently working on a mural at a house in the Miller area,” says Noriega. “It’s about a famous neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina, called Caminito. Caminito is a street museum and a traditional alley, located in La Boca, it inspired the music for the famous tango ‘Caminito,’ composed by Juan de Dios Filiberto. A few of the current Tango celebrities will be portrayed in the mural.”
The murals are filled with vivid colors and capture the liveliness of people and places with verve and cultural appeal.
She says that painting murals has been this year’s theme for her, She has worked on several murals for a private client and now Caminito for someone else.
“It is very exciting for me to work on large scale projects. It allows for creativity to flourish,” she says.
COVID-19 had an impact on her work, with lock downs and travel restrictions making things more difficult. But once again she rose above the limitations.
“The pandemic inspired me to start giving online classes and in a way to re-invent myself. All challenges are a great source of inspiration,” she continued.
She is currently teaching at her private studio and at The Ceramic League of Miami, located at 8873 SW 129th. Street, Miami, Florida 33176.
You can find her on the web as puchi noriega, or at https://www.artmajeur.com/puchinoriega
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