Marcos Zapata

The Last Supper depicts Christ in the center surrounded by his twelve disciples. Around the head of Christ is halo and his hands are formed as the sign of benediction. Christ and his disciples are clothed in thick robes that are colored in reds, blue and greens, which is a common color palette in Cusco art. In the corner, Judas seems to be looking at the viewer while holding onto a moneybag.  In other depictions of The Last Supper, the platter in the middle is usually empty or contains a Paschal lamb. However, sticking to his roots, Zapata incorporates a cuy, or a guinea pig, which is a nod to the Andean cuisine.

Cuy was the most accessible protein for the Andean people.  Despite its accessibility, cuy was not eaten everyday as a common mean, but as a delicacy. Cuy was saved for special occasions such as a subject of a sacrificial animal for religious ceremonies. Cuy was also known to be used as a way to predict the future. Thus, the animal would be sacrificed in honor of the Gods at religious festivals. Other elements of the supper that were native to the Andean cuisine that Zapata included within this piece was the potatoes, peppers and a drink known as chicha. Chicha is a fermented corn drink that was popular in the Andes. 

Zapata's interpretation of this piece is an example of how indigenous artists used European elements within their artwork, but also incorporated elements of the indigenous culture.