Biography 

Andrea Vela Alarcón (Peru)  

Andrea Vela Alarcón is a Peruvian mestiza Chinese/Adean educator and self-taught visual artist based in Hamilton, Ontario. Andrea holds a licentiate degree from the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru and a master of fine arts (2020) in adult education and community development with a collaborative specialization in women and gender studies from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. She is also a PhD candidate in philosophy, communication, culture, and new media at McMaster University in Hamilton. Andrea has received many awards and grants including the RBC Newcomer Space Award (2019) for further research projects. She is the author of the books ABC del Peru (2020) and Fairy Tales of the World: Ayaymama (2013).  

Andrea Vela Alarcón’s studio work focuses on drawing and illustration. Andreas' contemporary colour palette and themes are inspired by the Peruvian landscape and indigenous mythology. It is through art that she continuously instructs her practice in pedagogical studies and art to reflect on belonging and ancestry. Her work appears in the publication of the mentorship program Future/Forward at the International Centre of Social Change (2022). In 2021, Collective Arts Brewing in Toronto selected her design to be printed in their merchandise. She has been part of the collective exhibition Colores de Latinoamérica (2020) at the TD Sunfest in Toronto.