Latin American Art Online
Oswaldo Guayasamín is an Ecuadorian painter, muralist and sculptor.
Oswaldo's father was an Indian, and the family was very poor, but the future artist was educated at the School of Fine Arts of Quito. Soon, literally in two years, he created a cycle of 103 paintings dedicated to the life of oppressed Indians in Latin America. Oswaldo Guayasamin also painted portraits of famous contemporaries, including Fidel Castro, whom he admired. He also created murals, frescoes, landscapes, and symbolic images.
The artist's works were exhibited in Paris, Moscow and in Leningrad, among other cities around the world, with amazing success. In 1957, at the Fourth Biennial in São Paulo, he was named the best South American artist.
Guayasamin was also a passionate collector. In 1978, the then famous artist donated to the State of Ecuador some 500 colonial paintings and sculptures, pre-Columbian archaeological sites, Goya and Picasso paintings that he had collected.
Oswaldo Guayasamín is an Ecuadorian painter, muralist and sculptor.
Oswaldo's father was an Indian, and the family was very poor, but the future artist was educated at the School of Fine Arts of Quito. Soon, literally in two years, he created a cycle of 103 paintings dedicated to the life of oppressed Indians in Latin America. Oswaldo Guayasamin also painted portraits of famous contemporaries, including Fidel Castro, whom he admired. He also created murals, frescoes, landscapes, and symbolic images.
The artist's works were exhibited in Paris, Moscow and in Leningrad, among other cities around the world, with amazing success. In 1957, at the Fourth Biennial in São Paulo, he was named the best South American artist.
Guayasamin was also a passionate collector. In 1978, the then famous artist donated to the State of Ecuador some 500 colonial paintings and sculptures, pre-Columbian archaeological sites, Goya and Picasso paintings that he had collected.
Eduardo Kingman Riofrío was an Ecuadorian artist. He is considered one of Ecuador's greatest artists of the 20th century, among the art circles of other master artists such as Oswaldo Guayasamín and Camilo Egas.
Eduardo Kingman Riofrío was an Ecuadorian artist. He is considered one of Ecuador's greatest artists of the 20th century, among the art circles of other master artists such as Oswaldo Guayasamín and Camilo Egas.
José Jesús Francisco Zúñiga Chavarría was a Costa Rican-born Mexican artist, known both for his painting and his sculpture. Journalist Fernando González Gortázar lists Zúñiga as one of the 100 most notable Mexicans of the 20th century, while the Encyclopædia Britannica calls him "perhaps the best sculptor" of the Mexican political modern style.
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, more commonly known as Diego Rivera, was a prominent Mexican painter celebrated for his critical role in establishing the Mexican mural movement both nationally and internationally. Born on December 8, 1886, in Guanajuato, Mexico, to a well-to-do family, Rivera was a child prodigy in art, encouraged by his parents from a young age after they noticed his penchant for drawing. This early support included installing chalkboards and canvases on the walls of their home to foster his talent.
Rivera's art was not just limited to murals; he was also a key figure in Mexican Cubism and had a rich body of easel paintings. However, his murals, depicting scenes of Mexican society and reflecting his leftist political views, remain his most notable contributions. Some of his most famous works include "Man at the Crossroads," which stirred controversy due to its inclusion of Lenin, leading to its destruction at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Rivera's murals are scattered across Mexico and the United States, serving as historical documents that highlight his technical skill and deep social engagement.
His personal life was as colorful and tumultuous as his art, marked by multiple marriages, including to fellow artist Frida Kahlo. Their relationship was both passionate and stormy, significantly influencing their respective works. Rivera's legacy extends beyond his artwork; he was a mentor to several artists and left an indelible mark on the art world with his contributions to public art and his political activism. His works have been declared national monuments by the Mexican government, underscoring his pivotal role in the country's cultural heritage.
For collectors and experts in art and antiques, Rivera's works offer not only aesthetic beauty but also deep social and historical insights. If you're passionate about adding a piece of this rich cultural heritage to your collection or staying updated on auction events related to Diego Rivera's art, signing up for updates can provide you with timely information on new sales and exhibitions featuring his masterpieces.
Ricardo Martínez de Hoyos was a Mexican painter noted for his figurative work on unreal atmospheres. He was one of several children from a very large family to make a mark in his field, along with Oliverio in sculpture and Jorge in acting. His work was exhibited in various parts of the world, featured in collective tours of Mexican art. Individually, he exhibited mostly in Mexico including important venues such as the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Palacio de Bellas Artes, which held a tribute to the artist in 1994. Since his death, a cultural center named after him has been established in the historic center of Mexico City.
Werner Mathias Goeritz Brunner was a Mexican painter and sculptor of German origin. After spending much of the 1940s in North Africa and Spain, he and his wife, photographer Marianne Gast, immigrated to Mexico in 1949.
In 1953 he first presented his "Manifiesto de la Arquitectura Emocional" (Emotional Architecture Manifesto) at the pre-inauguration of the Museo Experimental El Eco in Mexico City, which he designed in 1952-53. During the 1950s, Goeritz also collaborated with Luis Barragán to make monumental abstract sculptures in reinforced concrete, including El animal del Pedregal (The Animal of the Pedregal, 1951) and the Torres de la Ciudad Satélite (Towers of Satellite City, 1957).
Alice Phillipot (Alice Rahon) was a French/Mexican poet and artist whose work contributed to the beginning of abstract expression in Mexico. She began as a surrealist poet in Europe but began painting in Mexico. She was a prolific artist from the late 1940s to the 1960s, exhibiting frequently in Mexico and the United States, with a wide circle of friends in these two countries. Her work remained tied to surrealism but was also innovative, including abstract elements and the use of techniques such as sgraffito and the use of sand for texture. She became isolated in her later life due to health issues, and except for retrospectives at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in 1986 and at the Museo de Arte Moderno in 2009 and 2014, she has been largely forgotten, despite her influence on Mexican modern art.
Alfredo Castañeda was a Mexican surrealist painter.
Castañeda had been interested in painting and drawing since childhood, but first became an architect, earning a degree in architecture from the University of Mexico. During his studies, he continued to paint as a hobby, which he became more and more serious about over the years. At university, Alfredo became acquainted with the painter, sculptor and architect Matthias Goeritz, as well as the work of René Magritte. Both played a huge role in the young artist's worldview.
After his studies, Castañeda worked as an architect and in 1969 had his first solo exhibition at Galeria de Arte Mexicano. His work has also been shown internationally numerous times in the United States and in many Latin American countries, including Mexico. His work is collected in collections and museums throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Alfredo Castañeda is known for his surrealist paintings, often portraits. The same character appears in many of his paintings, sometimes revealed in multiple versions of himself. This person (often resembling the artist himself) seems to be engaged in an endless dialog with himself, involving the viewer as well.
Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.
Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.
Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.
Rufino del Carmen Arellanes Tamayo was a Mexican painter of Zapotec heritage, born in Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Tamayo was active in the mid-20th century in Mexico and New York, painting figurative abstraction with surrealist influences.