Kriptonita is one of the most paradigmatic works by Salvadoran artist Waterio Iraheta. It implies a single word that transports us irremediably to that rarity which produced in Superman, the man of steel, effects contrary to those qualities that made him an indestructible superhero. However, Iraheta’s work is based on the antithesis of the perfect hero archetype – a corpulent figure with Anglo-Saxon features and an impeccable appearance. First of all, his story begins with the representation of a super-boy with clearly local features, a boy who from up on high, amidst the clouds, is posed in the classic position, his hands on his waist to better show the “S” that covers his chest. This new version of the man of steel provokes a series of readings that put the myth in question and then, by substitution, propose a reconsideration of the limits of heroism. Who are the real heroes? Without a doubt, they are those who lack supernatural powers and yet still resolve the problems of existence in the planetary realm where madness and extreme deficiencies dwell.

– Rosina Casali

http://unitedphotoindustries.com/exhibitions/superheroes/walter-iraheta-kryptonita/