As a multi-year winner of the Blacks and Whites Carnival individual costume contest since 2015, Dayra Benavides has become a disruptive force in Pasto’s traditional annual event. Through rich and creative designs comprised of dresses and masks inspired by dance, Dayra has contributed her mysticism to the Carnival and made a homage to the local crafts and collective imagery of her people. While living in Bogotá as a successful visual artist, Dayra reconnected with her roots and inherited skills. Her mother, a dancer and carnival craftswoman, and her father, a mopa mopa varnish artisan-turned photographer, paved the way for Dayra into the world of the carnival. Dayra crosses cultural, spiritual, and even gender thresholds in her costume designs and dances, winning her admiration, both locally and abroad.
Dayra Benavides