In a time where digital often overshadows the handmade, there are still those who create with heart and hands. One of them is Gustavo Andino, a 57-year-old Paraguayan artist, known throughout the country, for his unique stained-glass pieces using crushed glass.
How it all began for Gustavo Andino
Born in Villarrica, Guairá, Gustavo doesn’t recall his childhood as a straight path towards art. But rather as a journey of curiosity and discovery. His mother, with a special sensibility, used to take him to the Ykua Pyta park, where they would look out over the lake and admire the “Panambi che raperame” sculpture there.
“She would explain things to me as if I were an adult, even when I was just four”, Gustavo recalls. That was his first conscious encounter with art and its meaning.
But it was at the age of nine, when a severe case of pneumonia left him bedridden for six long months. At that time art became his true refuge. Tired of books and bored with television, it was his grandmother who brought him colouring books and, unknowingly, opened the door to a lifelong vocation.
Pure fulfilment
Twenty years ago, a family member asked him to make a stained-glass piece. At first, Gustavo refused out of fear. But his relative’s faith in him convinced him to try. “It was a female silhouette by the sea, under the moonlight. It was the challenge of my life. I didn’t think I could do it. But then I could, and I did. It felt like pure fulfilment.”
From that moment on, glass became his signature. Every piece tells a part of Gustavo’s journey. A story of learning, resilience and creativity.
Meaning behind his art
Today,the work of Gustavo Andino can take anywhere from 24 hours to six months to complete, depending on size, complexity, and how long it takes him to truly “hear” what the piece wants to express.
Gustavo often walks for kilometres, sometimes around Asunción’s Costanera or the Botanic Garden, to clear his mind.
“I don’t worry when I feel blocked. I know inspiration always comes back”, he says, like someone who has made peace with the rhythms of creativity.
Gustavo describes himself as intuitive, fearless, and persistent. His style is figurative and minimalist, though he avoids strict labels. “I don’t want to make something everyone has already seen. Magic is uniqueness and innovation”, he explains.
For that reason, he mixes techniques, materials, and emotions: stained glass paint, lead liner, crushed glass, mini rotary tools, thinner, pencils, watercolours, even unexpected objects that catch his eye.
“I combine everything I know, to create something unique. When someone tells me they have never seen anything like it, that is when I feel fulfilled.”
Among Gustavo Andino’s recent works is The Night’s Spell (Pyhare Avapaje), US$ 250, a piece that brings fantasy to life. Another, The Three Mythological Beings, US$ 575, features Ao Ao, Jasy Jatere, and the Pombero, iconic characters from Paraguayan folklore, represented in a triptych that blends culture, magic, and beauty. This spirit runs through all of Gustavo’s art, even in more personal pieces, like his engraved glass horse, US$ 250, symbolising freedom.
From rejection to admiration
For years, Gustavo’s father insisted his son would pursue architecture or engineering. Although Gustavo studied graphic design for a while, art always burned inside him. Years later, after his mother passed away, he moved in with his father. And there, something changed.
“You’re taking this seriously, aren’t you?” his father finally admitted. It was a late but powerful form of validation.
“Now he’s my number one fan”, Gustavo says. “He tells me I have a natural talent that no one else has.”
Living fearless
To anyone afraid to follow an artistic path, whether due to family pressure, fear of failure, or lack of resources, Gustavo offers one clear message:
“Live doing what you love. Self-satisfaction is more important than money. Sooner or later, recognition will come.”
Gustavo doesn’t just make art. He turns it into memory, identity, and meaning. Every fragment of his life has been polished over time, reflecting the story of someone who chose to walk without fear and create with love.
You can contact Gustavo Andino on Facebook, or via WhatsApp at +595 981 479 790 for commissions and enquiries.
Want to read more about Paraguayan artists? See how architect and watercolorist Gerardo González illuminated UNESCO’s Urbino with watercolour art.
