XAVIER VERA KOOKE (b. 1971, Esmeraldas, Ecuador) is a distinguished visual artist, cultural anthropologist, and prolific author whose creative practice is deeply intertwined with the intangible heritage and collective memory of the Afro-Ecuadorian Pacific.

His production is characterized by a rigorous academic foundation and a lifelong commitment to preserving ancestral identities. Trained in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology at the Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres, his continuous field research on traditional communication, leadership, and oral history—supported by institutional frameworks including the Ministry of Culture—profoundly informs the rich symbolism and cultural weight embedded within his canvases. Over more than two decades, his visual work has achieved substantial resonance, being featured and acclaimed by specialized European media, notably the prominent Spanish magazine Mundo Negro. Among his accolades, he received a notable Honorable Mention at the National University Painting Competition, organized by the Guayasamín Foundation in 2008.

Vera Kooke is also a celebrated intellectual and author, having published short novels, poetry collections, and critical research papers on traditional dance and Afro-Ecuadorian culinary memory. His pictorial work stands as a living testament, a bridge where anthropology, literature, and contemporary art converge to safeguard the spirit of his cultural lineage.