José Alfonso Espada, professor of the Graphic Design program at the University of Cauca, received the distinction of Laureate Thesis for his research Ciudad imaginada, presented in the Master’s in Research-Creation in Art and Context at the University of Nariño.

Last Friday, August 8, in the city of Pasto, the renowned Unicaucano professor and artist José Alfonso Espada defended his thesis, which received the highest score of 100 points from the jury, granting him the recognition of Laureate Thesis in virtue of its academic, investigative, and creative excellence. The jury was composed of professors Edith María Benavides Cuaspa, Orlando Morillo Santacruz, and Mario Madroñero Morillo, who highlighted the strength of the project and the artistic sensitivity with which it was developed. This achievement, the result of passion for creation and academic rigor, reflects this professor’s commitment to continue transforming lives and making dreams a reality through art and research.

Photo: Professor José Alfonso Espada during the defense of his Laureate Thesis.

The project Ciudad imaginada consists of 96 pieces, including drawings and watercolors by the artist, as well as collective creation processes with urban communities. “Ciudad imaginada is a critical and aesthetic reflection based on the experiences of going out to draw the city within the cultural project Drawing Popayán,” explains Professor José Alfonso, who has led this initiative for 10 years, allowing for the collection of diverse perspectives on the city of Popayán. His research reconstructs a historical journey, from the drawings made by 19th-century travelers to contemporary representations that reveal how Popayán has changed and continues to transform.

But how much do we really know about this talented and renowned artist? José Alfonso Espada is a Payanés artist, stained glass artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and professor at this house of thought, who has skillfully combined artistic creation with academic training. His career in urban drawing has led him to share his knowledge in workshops held in different cities and to participate as a speaker in renowned events and universities across the country. With more than 150 drawings and watercolors, his work constitutes a valuable testimony of a life dedicated to art and teaching.

Photo: Professor José Alfonso Espada during the presentation of his thesis.

For Professor Espada, the city is also memory and narrative: “The imagined city emerges from memories, stories, and narratives that have been transmitted both orally and through reviews, chronicles, and travelers’ observations. From their perspectives, they contributed portraits of the realities of past times, from which longings for a past to be beautified through the filter of nostalgia were forged.”

His reflection invites us to recognize that Popayán is more than the image of an idyllic city with its colonial historic center, since it is also the everyday city that pulses within the routines of its inhabitants.

Provided photo

“In memories, recollections, and nostalgia, imagination can enrich or embellish the ideas or images that have remained engraved in our minds; imaginaries and stories are woven, stories that we begin to tell and that, in turn, are nourished by daydreams or evocations in which reality is often maximized or exalted,” the professor points out in a reflective tone.

Finally, the University of Cauca celebrates Professor José Alfonso Espada’s commitment to academic excellence and to promoting projects that integrate art, research, and community, demonstrating that knowledge is built from creativity and that each work is also an opportunity to change the way we understand our history and our cities. Congratulations, professor, on this achievement that today allows us to honor your work!

 

Written by: Communications Management Center