Olga de Amaral is considered one of the great pioneers of post-war Latin American abstraction. Born in Colombia in 1932, he studied textiles and design at the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Her work is contextualized within the discourses of the Latin American avant-garde, the feminine renaissance of craftsmanship and is characterized by her works in large-scale textile fibers in which she includes the use of precious metals. The interest in her work around the world is growing, she has had nearly 100 solo exhibitions and has participated in more than a hundred group exhibitions in major institutions around the world, in addition, her work is currently part of 24 permanent collections in international museums and currently the work of Olga de Amaral is very present in collections and museums mainly in New York.
His latest institutional exhibitions
1. “Expansiones” – Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá (2017).
This exhibition inaugurated the reopening of the museum in February 2017. It was an exhibition with a collection of works which highlight the essence of the Colombian, showing a clear influence of pre-Columbian culture and traditional Colombian craftsmanship, but with a contemporary approach. A wide range of textures and shapes could be perceived in the exhibition, from flat and rectangular pieces to three-dimensional works.
2. “Women take the floor” – Museum of Fine Arts of Boston (2019)
Undoubtedly, Olga de Amaral is one of the most important women in Latin American art today; from September to November 2019, Olga de Amaral was part of a group exhibition in Boston called “The Art of Latin America”.Women take the floor“in which her works converged with works by other women artists from around the world, such as Frida Kahlo.
This exhibition sought to present the female view of art, giving us a narrative of how women perceive and live the world from different perspectives and how they leave it captured through works of art of great significance.
3. “To Weave a Rock” – Museum of Fine Art Houston (2021)
This exhibition co-organized by the Cranbrook Art Museum was an invitation to take a look at Amaral’s architectural investigations and his characteristic weavings. Through 50 works created over the last six decades, from his first series, “Walls”, to the most recent immersive installation, entitled “Mists”. Amaral has a strong influence on architecture, which takes a very important part in the construction of his work.
4. Retrospective at Fondation Cartier pour l’art
From October 2024 to March 2025, the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain in Paris presented the first major European retrospective of Olga de Amaral, cementing her legacy as a key figure in contemporary textile art. The exhibition brought together nearly 80 works created from the 1960s to the present day, many of which had never been shown outside Colombia. The pieces, which combine linen, horsehair, gesso, and gold leaf, reflect a fusion of modernism, pre-Columbian art, and Colombian craft traditions. Designed by architect Lina Ghotmeh, the exhibition transformed the space into a “vertical forest,” highlighting the artist’s connection to nature and light.
5. The Contemporaneity of the Ancestral: Olga de Amaral at Galería Duque Arango
From May 16 to July 9, 2024, Galería Duque Arango in Medellín presented The Contemporaneity of the Ancestral, an exhibition showcasing Olga de Amaral’s mastery in transforming textile art. The works featured unconventional materials in the Colombian artist’s practice, reflecting her ability to merge traditional techniques with a contemporary aesthetic. The exhibition emphasized how Amaral turns fiber into metaphor and precious materials into visual poetry.
6. Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
From May 1 to October 12, 2025, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Miami is presenting a major retrospective of Olga de Amaral in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier. The exhibition features more than 50 works spanning six decades of the artist’s career, including pieces never before shown outside Colombia. Amaral’s sculptures and installations, which combine weaving, knotting, and braiding techniques, challenge the boundaries of textile art by creating three-dimensional abstract forms. The show highlights emblematic series such as Estelas (1996–2018) and Brumas (2013–2018), illustrating the evolution of her artistic practice and her ability to infuse geometric modernism with the rich history and diversity of the landscape.
Undoubtedly, Olga de Amaral is an artist whose name cannot be ignored when it comes to textile art and art in general in the world. We invite you to learn more about the artist.
