Art in Ecuador: Oswald Guayasamín (1919-1999)

Guayasamín’s art is provocative and politically motivated. It made him Ecuador’s best-known artist. His works are considered a national treasure.

There is a large collection of the artist’s work in The Capilla del Hombre (The Chapel of Man) including paintings, sculptures, and an eternal flame set in the center in defense of peace and human rights. The museum was shaped like an Inca temple and was dedicated to the values of the pre-Columbian man and his struggle against colonization. It was conceived by Guayasamín himself and is considered his most ambitious work. Unfortunately he died before it was inaugurated in 2002.

In the entrance hall of The Capilla del Hombre there is an exhibition of his art and quotes in posters. Photos are not allowed inside.

As part of Guayasamín´s Foundation we can also visit his house, where he lived and created some of his most important works. There we can appreciate the artist´s own art collection and his studio, which is intact, as well as some of his personal objects.

In the 80´s he started a new series of paintings dedicated to his mother, who always supported him in his artistic career, called Tenderness.

Quito, 21/3/15