By Natalie Taylor
When considering the artwork of Ana Cornejo and Heinz Kunzli, one word stands out—collaboration. The two artists bring disparate aspects together on many levels. They do it as a couple—combining varied disciplines, sensibilities, different national, and ethnic backgrounds. Most importantly, the collaboration is evident in how, and why they create their art.
Heinz Kunzli was born in Switzerland, and started his career as an engineer, and architect. He became interested in rocks and minerals, and began collecting them. What he found was that many minerals, often of volcanic origin, could be pulverized to produce uniquely colored pigments. He began seeing how these vibrant colors could become part of a piece of art—a painting using only natural pigments, extracted from the earth’s core.
Ana Cornejo is from Peru, and she worked in international trade for many years. But her greatest interest was clothing design. They met many years ago, then went on to their separate ways, until finally meeting again. This time the moment was right for them, and it led to their marriage.
Since then, they have traveled together all over the world, in search of minerals that could be used in the production of their art. The minerals they gather are millions of years old, and placing them on a canvas, or other surface means bringing the primal into the present. The works they produce will continue to endure as the rocks themselves. During my visit, Heinz invited me to touch one of the paintings. I felt privileged, as when I place a hand on one of the ancient walls in our historic center, but in this case I was touching our planet’s primordial beginnings.
Among the many places Heinz and Ana have visited in search of minerals, was a mine in Spain, where they gathered coal, 1,500 feet below the ground. But this is only one such unique site. They have traveled through all the continents on their quest for specific minerals that will yield another color, an addition to their extensive, earthly palette.
When it was time to find a location to retire, they strongly considered Puglia, in Italy. However, when they held an exhibit of their work there, someone said they should visit San Miguel de Allende before making their final decision. As soon as they came here, they fell in love with the area, and within a very short time bought a property, some fifteen minutes from town. Heinz designed the house where they now reside—perched high on a hill, with magnificent views of the mountains, the Presa, and the city. Here they have their gallery, studios, and enough land where Ana can indulge her love of landscaping and gardening. They have planted hundreds of trees, and the place is a true nature paradise. Groups can arrange to come see their artwork, in this magical setting.
Both Ana and Heinz begin each piece, inspired by nature. It might be a canvas on which a foundational layer is applied, then allowed to dry and settle. This is where the collaboration with nature comes in, because hours later, the layers may have taken on a new character, a new shape, which then leads the artist to the next stage of creation. Each work is a discovery, a true collaborative work between man and nature.
Sometimes, when either of them reaches the point where a piece of work may need an indefinable “something,” the other might make a suggestion, or perhaps even be invited to add to it. I watched Ana as she applied a bit of yellow to one of Heinz’s works. It was the final, needed touch, she said.
Although they both use almost the exact same materials, and techniques in crafting their pieces, there is a great deal of difference in their final products. With the artwork of Heinz, I felt a sense of vibrancy and strength; I could almost imagine an attempt at conquering nature. Ana’s works seemed more romanticized, and a gentler vision of the cosmos. She told me that she does not “paint nature,” she is inspired by it. And she herself characterized Heinz’s work as strong, “he’s a hurricane,” she said. And you? I asked. “I am the breeze that passes, and leaves behind a fragrance.”
Heinz Kunzli and Ana Cornejo are currently featured at Casa de Europa, and will be there until January 10, 2023. You can see a sample of their work there, or visit their gallery by contacting them at art@couleurs-dailleurs.ch
Natalie Taylor: BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Spanish teacher in the US, English teacher in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
