October 2018, Miami- The Juan Carlos Maldonado Art Collection of modern and contemporary art is excited to share the news of a recent acquisition of the most comprehensive to date set of indigenous Ye’Kwana pieces, collected through decades of arduous work and research by the Venezuelan anthropologist Charles Brewer-Carías since the 1960’s.
Charles Brewer-Carías (born 10 September 1938 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a Venezuelan explorer and naturalist. Known as the “Humboldt of the twentieth century”, Brewer-Carías has led more than 200 expeditions to remote parts of the Venezuelan Guayana, particularly the tepuis (table mountains) of the region. His discoveries include the sink holes of Cerro Sarisariñama and the world’s largest known quartzite cave, Cueva Charles Brewer. Around 27 species of animals and plants have been named in his honor, including the bromeliad genus Brewcaria.
Juan Carlos Maldonado connected spontaneously with the geometry reflected in the Ye’Kwana pieces ensuing a series of conversations between the anthropologist-researcher and the collector of geometric art, leading the latter towards a transformative experience that would take him beyond his current self and engaging them both into a dialogue that still continues to date.
JCMAC celebrates this acquisition with the exhibition Convergences / Divergences curated by Ariel Jiménez.