Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

FOR Chilean printmaking artist Carlos Damacio Gómez, living in Shenzhen has been a transient yet impressive experience.

Gómez, also an academic from the University of Chile, spent a remarkable two-month stay in Shenzhen as a visiting artist at the invitation of the Guanlan Original Printmaking Base in Longhua District.

“The Guanlan printmaking base is a paradise for artists,” Gómez told Shenzhen Daily while showing the reporter a two-floor workshop at the base. The first floor houses machinery and workstations for creation and printing, while the second floor is designated for individual studios.

Originally a Hakka village with more than 300 years of history, the printmaking base has been transformed into a vibrant artistic community. With two workshops covering an area of 30,000 square meters, the base has welcomed over 1,000 artists worldwide to date.

Surrounded by a large rapeseed flower field and verdant trees, the base provides Gómez with a serene environment conducive to uninterrupted artistic exploration, free from academic obligations and personal distractions.

Gómez stated, “My life here involves maybe 16 hours of drawing. This opportunity offers me one of the most immersive experiences as an artist.”

Upon his arrival in Shenzhen, after an arduous journey spanning nearly 18,000 kilometers over 48 hours [a day], Gómez began work on a piece titled “The City of Caesars,” which is a reference to a mythical lost city believed to have once existed in Patagonia. The lost city has captivated adventurers around the world for centuries with stories of vast treasures and knowledge waiting to be discovered.

“When I arrived in Shenzhen, I felt like I was always searching for something, discovering a new world. Everything was different,” Gómez said, noting that this experience inspired him to create “The City of Caesars.”

Hailing from the small town of Coyhaique in Patagonia, Gómez’s exposure to the arts was initially limited. However, his passion for drawing propelled him on an artistic journey. Specializing in printmaking during his academic tenure at the University of Chile, Gómez eventually became an art professor at the university.

One of Gómez’s printmaking works is currently being exhibited at the China Printmaking Museum in Shenzhen, a testament to his growing career. “This is a great privilege. My career is advancing, and this is very important to me,” he said.