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lapa ii - cave of lovers

here she guards her cave w instinctual diligence. she’s no punk, and will not let *anyone just enter.

la lapa is a large forest rodent native to venezuela; it became a small fixation for me on my recent trip home. it’s an endangered animal often hunted for meat, but it also appears in simón díaz’s song la lapa, which calls for its protection and care. learned it as a jingle in primary school even.

i started painting the lapa in a limited colour palette, and it became a way to think about nature, our national heritage, and venezuela’s vast fauna.

grateful for the freewheelin joy this little creature has brought me in its company.

Screenshot 2026 03 11 at 00 18 40 1773233782 Abigail Villarroel

Chigüires Pacientes

lapa i - encounter

Francisco en La Carraca (after Arturo Michelena’s Miranda en La Carraca, 1896) (2025)

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