Leather with Sterling Silver Wristband Bracelet, "Provocative"

Rosa Tomatis was born in Lima in 1948. She studied in a number of art workshops that were especially valuable for the function of design. Her artistic formation was achieved in the Universidad Católica, while her paintings are inclined toward the surreal and playful abstraction.

"When I was very young, my family saw my natural instinct for drawing, so they found an art teacher for me. Thus I followed this path, and I found it more and more beautiful," Tomatis says. "When I was a little girl, I loved to hear stories. But I always asked that they be in color. When they had a sad ending, I'd insist it be changed to a happy one. That was many years ago. But when I hear a sad tale, I still want to change it to have a happy ending.

"I'm a painter but as a girl I learned all about leather, as my father worked with tanners. My brother Rodolfo Tomatis is also a featured artisan with leather handbags. I design and work with leather, and I also craft jewelry. With both, I select the very best materials. I love to mix natural elements with silver. Sometimes I give it a rustic finish; other times I like a shiny surface.

"I feel a need to express something, and this is what motivates me to paint. My canvases and monotypes show scenes of light – clean and floating like a dance of life. I'd love to be able to reach you with my work – feel that somehow my message reaches you – and share it with everyone."

Tomatis has shown her work widely thoughout Peru, the United States, Germany and Italy, and her works appear in many collections worldwide.