Chicha art is a vibrant visual explosion that reflects a nation’s rich culture—a style that not only defined a new aesthetic but also gave voice to a unique identity in Peru. Born in the 1980s, and often dismissed as kitschy, chicha art has been revalued in recent years as a form of contemporary Peruvian baroque.
The Origins of Chicha Art: Monky and the Colors of the Huanca Nation
Chicha art has a unique origin story. Its creator, Pedro Tolomeo Rojas Meza, better known as Monky, was born in San Lorenzo, Jauja, Junín. In the late 1970s, Monky moved to Lima, hoping to train as an auto electrician, but economic hardship led him to work in a clothing print shop in La Victoria. There, he began to explore his artistic side, drawing landscapes and lettering—apassion he’d nurtured since childhood.
Economic challenges led him to work in a clothing printing shop in La Victoria district in Lima, where he unleashed his artistic talents, as he had enjoyed drawing landscapes and lettering since a young age. In his hometown, he had already made posters for some local restaurants and shops.
At that time, posters and advertising signs in Lima were made with neutral, sober colors like black and white. Some more daring posters used colored paper to stand out. But this changed drastically with the arrival of a visionary: Pedro Tolomeo Rojas Meza, better known as Monky. One day, he was asked to make a banner for an event. He recalls, “Hey, why don’t we also make a printed-style poster? So we started that, and we became popular for our posters.”
His inspiration for using fluorescent colors came from the vibrant hues of traditional Andean dance costumes like the Chonguinada and Huaylas, dances native to his homeland, Huancayo. The Huanca nation is known for its lively and colorful festivals, and Monky decided to transmit that vibrant color palette into his creations.
Monky proudly describes his artistic epiphany: “That’s when the bright colors were born; I brought those colors into my work, my posters… the bright colors… I thought, ‘why not put them in posters?’ Thanks to my curiosity, my daring, these colors are now bringing joy to Peru, to Lima, even to gray Lima, as they call it.”
Monky’s creativity transformed the visual landscape of Lima and other Peruvian cities, illuminating the streets with vibrant posters that captured the energy of popular culture.
Chicha Music: The Urban Pulse of a Migrant Generation
Chicha art is deeply tied to the music of the same name, which emerged in the 1960s. Chicha music is a fusion of Andean rhythms, Colombian cumbia, rock, and sounds from the Amazon and Afro-Cuban influences. Initially, the term “chicha” was used derogatorily, referring to migrants from the provinces arriving in Lima, creating this new music, considered “inferior” by the more conservative sectors.
The colorful and bold chicha style naturally became associated with the music. Los Shapis, one of the first chicha groups, pioneered the use of colorful posters that matched their bright attire, reflecting their native Huancayo. Other groups followed, like Chacalón, Vico y su Grupo Karicia, Grupo Guinda, Grupo Alegría, Centeno, and more, making chicha posters essential for promoting music.
Thus, chicha music and chicha art became inseparable allies in expressing the emerging culture of migrants seeking their place in the capital.
LWhat started as a way to promote chicha group concerts soon became a cultural movement with its own visual identity. Neon colors and psychedelic typography defining chicha art began to be used for all types of events. From Dina Páucar to underground rock bands, everyone adopted the chicha visual style, creating a unique aesthetic that defined urban Peru in the late 20th century.
Chicha Art: From Disdain to Revaluation
At first, chicha art was looked down upon by Lima’s elites, who saw it as “tacky” or distasteful. However, by the late 2010s, new generations of migrant descendants, now forming a middle class, began to revalue what was cholo and chicha in both music and art.
Graphic artists like Elliot Tupac and Yefferson Huamán, as well as collectives such as Familia Gutiérrez, Amapolay, Unidos por un Sueño, and Nación Chicha, have taken chicha art to new heights. Today, chicha poster workshops have proliferated in Lima and other cities, responding to growing demand.
Today, chicha posters are used to advocate for causes like protecting the Peruvian Amazon, LGBTQ rights, and the fight against femicide. Even in places with significant Peruvian immigration, like Chile and Argentina, chicha posters have become symbols of cultural pride and struggle.
Unique Characteristics and Technique of Chicha Art
Chicha art, created by hand using screen-printing techniques, is known for its fluorescent, contrasting color palette, particularly shades of pink, green, orange, and yellow that stand out against black backgrounds. This combination is perfect for catching attention in the chaotic and dimly lit streets of Lima’s working-class neighborhoods. The sinuous typography, influenced by 1960s psychedelia but adapted to the urban Peruvian context, is another characteristic feature, with thick, vibrant letters that seem to move to the rhythm of chicha music.
Chicha lettering combines a poetic touch with Peruvian slang and expressions, creating direct, accessible messages for the public, making each poster not only an advertisement but a cultural statement. Chicha posters stand out in urban spaces with few resources, becoming true icons of popular culture.
From the Streets to the Heart of Peruvian Culture
Today, chicha art is part of the visual landscape of many Peruvian cities. It is no longer seen as “marginal” or “low” art but as an authentic expression of urban, multicultural Peru. From music to visual arts, chicha has crossed borders and entered galleries and museums, becoming a symbol of mestizo identity and popular creativity.
The legacy of artists like Monky and musical groups like Los Shapis lives on in the work of new generations of artists and graphic designers who have embraced and reinterpreted chicha style, not only as an art form but as a symbol of cultural pride.
Chicha art reminds us that amidst urban chaos and social tensions, there is always room for creativity and resilience, transforming what was once marginal into the core of a shared identity that continues to resonate in Peru and beyond.
