Samuel Sarmiento is a visual artist and one of the contemporary voices of Caribbean art in the Dutch Caribbean area. Based in Aruba, his artistic research deeply explores the narrative and hermeneutic capacity of visual arts, functioning as a vital link to Caribbean oral traditions and learning mechanisms based on orality. By translating local myths, historical collisions, and themes of extractivism, identity, and migration into tangible forms, Sarmiento transforms the ephemeral nature of these stories into an enduring visual language. His work seamlessly bridges the vibrant, localized narratives of the Caribbean with a broader, global contemporary art dialogue.  Central to Sarmiento's practice is his profound interest in sculptural ceramics as a primary expressive medium for constructing allegorical objects and semiotic devices. Engaging in rigorous technical research in his studio, he pushes the boundaries of the medium—working with high-temperature stoneware and complex custom glazes—to mold both physical volumes and conceptual meanings.

For Sarmiento, clay is not merely a material but a discursive tool that evokes a primal reconnection with the soil in an increasingly digital era. Through this tactile medium, his sculptures evolve into animistic and ritualistic entities that capture the tensions of historical processes, such as the origins of food production and the historical search for raw materials from Eden to the present day.  The narratives embedded within Sarmiento's work extend far beyond geographical boundaries, intertwining with his profound fascination for world literature, philosophical essays, and cinema. His ceramic pieces and drawings continuously dialogue with the metaphysical labyrinths of Jorge Luis Borges, the anthropological inquiries of René Girard, and the sharp human explorations of J.M. Coetzee, alongside visual influences from figures like Luis Buñuel. By incorporating these permeable references, metaphors, and tropes into his art, Sarmiento constructs a complex iconography where archetypes of servitude, individualism, and social classification are rigorously examined. This multidisciplinary approach ensures that each sculpture operates as a multi-layered text where literature and physical form continuously inform one another. 

Ultimately, Sarmiento approaches his artistic production as a method for safeguarding cultural memory, intentionally utilizing sculpture to create unyielding archives for future generations. He conceives his ceramic forms as contemporary relics and temporal bridges, specifically designed to withstand the erosion of time and document humanity's complex journey. By crystallizing oral traditions, philosophical concerns, and historical events into imperishable matter, his practice serves as a vital act of preservation. Sarmiento's enduring legacy lies in his commitment to leaving behind an archaeological testament of the human condition, offering tomorrow's audiences a tangible and profound window into the myths and realities of our time.