Clarissa Banos is a visual artist originally from El Salvador, whose artwork focuses on traditional Latin American culture and folklore. Her ancestral heritage is what inspires her colourful acrylic paintings: She is passionate about the magnificence of indigenous civilizations of the Ancient Americas and particularly intrigued by the Pre- found in ancient textiles of Mexico, Central America and South America. In additional, Banos showcases indigenous women as the axis of a magical universe in celebration of Latin America’s idiosyncrasies, popular culture and folklore. Her academic credentials include a BFA in Graphic Design, from Universidad Dr. Jose Matias Delgado, El Salvador, and a MFA in Graphic Design, from University of Illinois at Chicago, where she graduated as a Fulbright LASPAU Scholarship grantee. Her professional background combines over 25 years of experience as a graphic designer, visual artist and visual arts instructor. Clarissa Banos paintings can be found in private art collections in Central and South America, United States, Canada and Europe. She moved to British Columbia, Canada, in 2001, where she now lives and works as a visual artist and visual arts instructor. My ancestral heritage is what inspires my colourful artwork and fuels my creativity. I'm passionate about the magnificent indigenous civilizations of the Ancient Americas and particularly intrigued by the Pre- Hispanic iconography found in ancient textiles of Mexico, Central and South America. I pay tribute to the beauty, strength and resilience of indigenous Latin American women by showcasing them as the axis of a mystical, colourful universe in celebration of our idiosyncrasies, popular culture and folklore.