ESTEVAN – The Estevan Art Gallery & Museum (EAGM) is currently hosting Fibonacci, the first solo exhibition by Peruvian-born and Regina-based artist Bruno Hernani. Running from Feb. 7 to March 28, in Gallery No. I, the exhibition explores the intricate connections between mathematics, nature and music through Hernani’s bold, geometric compositions.
For Hernani, who has lived in Regina for over 14 years, the opportunity to see his work displayed in a gallery setting has been both exciting and enlightening.
“I feel really happy about how it turned out,” he said during a meet and greet at the gallery on Feb. 21. “When I’m working in a studio, everything is so close. Now I can see them from far, so it’s just different feelings.”
The experience of viewing his pieces from a new perspective, he added, has given him fresh inspiration.
“As I’m walking through the whole exhibition, I just have a feeling for each piece … It will help me to grow as an artist, or to develop my future pieces. It gives me more ideas and inspirations for my own work.”
The exhibition’s title, Fibonacci, references the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical pattern found throughout nature, from the spirals of shells to the branching of trees. This concept is at the heart of Hernani’s work.
“Fibonacci series, the mathematical series, was my start point to develop these paintings. It’s kind of like the beginning of life,” he explained.
Hernani’s art blends structure with spontaneity, reflecting his unique background in both engineering and visual art.
“I have a really rational mind. But I like freedom as well. They are two balanced concepts for me,” he said.
His bright and colourful paintings combine geometric patterns with fluid, organic forms, mirroring the ways in which order and chaos coexist in the natural world.
“That’s what I would like to express – it’s just the balance between structure and freedom.”
The artist’s deep admiration for Inca architecture also plays a significant role in his creative process.
“The specific elements of Inca structures and temples are synchronicity, symmetry, precision and alignments with natural elements,” he explained in an earlier interview with EAGM director/curator Tye Dandridge-Evancio. “They influence my composition by providing me with a sense of order and organized configuration.”
These principles, paired with the Fibonacci sequence, form the foundation of his intricate, layered compositions.
Many of the works featured in Fibonacci were created specifically for this exhibition, though some originated from other projects, including a large-scale mural commission.
The two Nature of Geometry pieces displayed at the EAGM were created as part of the BMO National Mural Series by BMO in collaboration with STEPS Public Art at the BMO Southland Mall Branch. Hernani noted that the entire project includes four murals creating a 360-degree skyline.
Hernani’s approach to painting is deeply experimental, allowing him to explore new techniques, compositions and colour palettes.
“The spontaneity during the creation process of each composition allows me to explore freely not only new configurations, but also new ways to paint and combine colours,” he said. “This has taught me as an artist that the creative process is a constant process and full of endless discoveries.”
Reflecting on his journey, Hernani noted that his dual passions for structure and creativity have shaped his artistic evolution.
“It’s kind of back and forth with structure and freedom.”
While he is currently focused on his art career, he hasn’t ruled out returning to his engineering roots in the future.
“I like to build and design. So I think in a few years I’ll start going back into it, but with art school – to rediscover it, for a different outlook.”
For now, Hernani remains fully immersed in his art, using colour, geometry and movement to express complex ideas about harmony and interconnectedness.
Fibonacci will be on display at the Estevan Art Gallery & Museum until March 28.
