“Oscar Lara’s work addresses difficult questions about people’s life situations and the impact of the market on society and the individual. With collaborations that range from the Peruvian Amazon to Tensta, the audience gets to take part in gripping contemporary history. The result is art where Lara exceeds the possible and challenges the boundaries of culture.” —City of Stockholm, Kulturstipendium

[…] Oscar Lara, born in 1977 in Lima, Peru, is a contemporary visual artist currently based between Stockholm and Lima. His work focuses on social practices that explore decolonial strategies and the re-contextualization of ethnographic materials. Lara is particularly known for his engagement with the cultural politics of power and representation, often using his art to challenge and critique colonial histories.

One of his most significant projects, Within Heritage Movements, investigates the repatriation of stolen pre-Columbian Paracas textiles, which were illicitly taken from Peru and transported to Sweden in the 1930s. Over several years, Lara meticulously recreated these textiles using traditional techniques, in collaboration with Swedish experts. His work prompts deeper reflection on the power dynamics involved in the ownership and display of cultural artefacts, particularly within European museums.

Lara’s practice spans various media, including textiles, archival material, video, and performance, and his exhibitions have been held at prominent venues such as the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) and the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg. He is currently a PhD candidate at the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm, where his research continues to push boundaries on the intersection of art, politics, and history. His projects engage deeply with themes of cultural heritage, repatriation, and the broader implications of colonialism in contemporary art contexts. […]