My brother Dorin and I having fun.

I have been learning the art of painting and sculpting for the past three years and I consider myself a talented artist. I share my life and passion with my community “ TierraMitica” situated in the high jungle of Peru where we do all sorts of crazy shit like giant sculptures, workshops and art events.  Through these artistic practices we developed a new way of working together, we call it “Collective Art” and it transported us to the next level of inspiration and human connection.

I wanted to share my experience of “Collective Art” because I really think that it is one of the most beautiful ways of creating art.

The principle is the following:  All the participants share their ideas and their talents to create one extraordinary collective art piece. It can be a painting a sculpture or even a monument, which is no longer the product of one vision, and one artist, but the product of every participant’s visions, giving life to a magnificent project.

Every year we organize a painting event called the Mythic Party were people from around the world, artists or not, come to our place at “ TierraMitica” to paint together on a giant art monument that we build specially for this event. It’s an explosion of ideas, colors and connections. Through the Mythic Party we developed Collective Art and it has taken me to a place where there are no limits, above anything I could ever imagine before. It opens my eyes and my heart, but it also challenged me in so many ways, as it made me grow, as an artist, as a human…

Plaza LaCuna - where collective art is born

I didn’t jump into collective art like I would jump into a pond full of chocolate (I love chocolate!). No, at the beginning I had a lot of resistance. I wanted to impose my vision, finding reasons to close myself from the others participant’s suggestions. I was afraid to let go, resisting what was happening, like I was doing with a lot of things in my life.

One of my biggest struggles was to feel proud for what I accomplished, and working with others gave me an excuse to dismiss my own work. Since I didn't do it all by myself how could I really be proud of what I accomplished and feel that the project is mine? Well, by seeing that without me it wouldn’t be the same, because I created this, not by myself but with others, that’s why it is everybody's, and mine. That’s why it’s so extraordinary.

I wouldn’t be able to do such a thing by myself. Together we are much more powerful and inspired. We dare to do the things we never dared to do before. I worked with people that never painted before and realized they could be talented too. How extraordinary is this? Today I am proud, just for being part of this.

The crew working on "La Mama" in 2016.

Our first collective project was a 6-meter hight pregnant goddess: ”la Mama” We built her for the Mythic Party 2016. She popped out of the jungle in three months and of course none of us had ever done such a thing before. Now she is surrounded by other magnificent collective art projects like “la Mente” our recording studio in a shape of a brain with sculptures with the theme of conception coming out of the brain tissue. I have to admit that I am very proud of the weirdness of this project that doesn’t take away an ounce of beauty from it, it makes it even more spectacular. After all, we are a band of weirdoes, of misfits, enjoying doing something different that is also beautiful. By the way, Misfits Unified is the name of our artist collective.

Collective Art is about the dance and play we share.

Collective Art taught me one of the greatest lessons in life: “It’s all about having fun!!!”

When I finally got it I could enjoy what was happening. I started to get inspired by the group and the vibrant energy that circulates between us. I realized that Collective Art is not about doing the best sculpture, but about coming together to create greatness.

It’s amazing to watch us work together. It’s like watching an improvised performance where people play with everything, with each other, with the material, with the colors, the shape, the sound. Everybody gets caught in this collective dance where everything comes together giving birth to one of the most spectacular pieces of art ever seen, surpassing our wildest imaginations.

The two halves of The Egg in progress.

I lived the most extraordinary moments doing Collective Art. Once I was working on our new project, “El Huevo”, an amphitheater that can seat 120 persons, in a shape of a broken egg. I was on the top of the stage shell, sculpting a giant baby with another Misfit when suddenly someone puts Pink Floyd on, one of my favorite bands. The music started to resonate everywhere in “El Huevo” surrounded by nothing else than vibrant jungle, psychedelic buildings, and loving people.  At that moment I told myself: “this is so unique”. I felt free to live my dreams crazier than I could ever imagine before. I felt an immense gratitude for my life and those magical moments that take us by surprise.

Recently I had to leave for 5 weeks, leaving also behind me that baby I was working on unfinished. It was such a pleasure to come back and see it finished, improved by other people’s vision and touch. “My baby is growing more beautiful than I thought it would be. ” It feels so good to be able to let go and trust others. To create, knowing that we have each other’s back and we make it happen no matter what! This support allows us to dare, that’s why we have no limits…

My family working on the baby while i was away.

I believe that the best way to do art is to trust.

Trust myself, because when I trust I don’t think, I’m at peace, everything flows, come together in harmony with what’s around and inside me.

Trust others because there is always a solution that I don’t see by myself. If I get stuck on a painting or a sculpture, someone can take over, or I can jump on another project.

Today I am so much more proud of the work I accomplish collectively because it is so much more grandiose than what I can do by myself. I still work on personal projects but I’m having more fun working with the other Misfits.

Collective Art helps me immensely to trust, to feel, to enjoy the world around me and express it thought my art. I’m incredibly proud to be part of this new movement we started here with my community and I fully encourage everybody that is interested, artist or not, to come and join our movement.

Check out this amazing video about the birth of our Collective Art Movement.

Love,
 - Mathilde