Viviana Paola Adames Barragán, 41 years old, was born in Bogotá but has roots in Sibaté through her father. From a young age, she was drawn to rural life, living in the Perico village until her grandparents sold their farm.
For Viviana, art became the driving force that shaped her existence in Sibaté. At 16, she watched a theatrical performance in a neighborhood of the town, an experience that changed everything. Observing the arts opened her eyes, inspiring her to step out of her routine of simply going from home to school. That moment sparked two major passions in her life: pedagogy and design.
Art led Viviana to pursue a career as an arts education teacher with a focus on theater. Meanwhile, her love for design stemmed from watching her mother, a seamstress, work every day. As a child, she secretly used her mother’s sewing machine to alter her own clothes. She later incorporated this passion into her theatrical productions, collaborating on the collective creation of costumes for a play about Sibaté’s Indigenous history.
Her deep passion for the arts and design fostered meaningful connections, forming what she calls “groups or circles” that became her second family. Through these bonds, she has worked toward personal growth and societal transformation. “Our social circle allows us to come together and make an impact in our territory.”
Viviana has always loved teaching in Sibaté and taking her students on field trips, as they break the daily routine and introduce them to new environments. She recalls meeting an outsider who helped her appreciate the town’s hidden beauty. Now, she dreams of reconnecting with the rural areas that remind her of childhood.
“I think it’s the warmth of the people. The land calls me back, not just because of the place, but because of the community—it’s where I feel good and where I can truly be myself.”
