Olga de Amaral, a prominent figure in the contemporary art scene, revolutionized the art world with her innovative technique. Born in 1932 in Bogota, Amaral has been internationally recognized for her unique focus on textile art, fusing pre-Colombian traditions with contemporary techniques to explore topics such as nature, pre-Colombian culture and spirituality.
Amaral stands out in the world of textile art for her ability to fuse indigenous traditions with contemporary techniques and materials. Her Colombian roots are the central axis of inspiration in his works of art, making her connection and knowledge of the tradition of textile work in Latin America explicit in each of her pieces.
Linen, plaster, acrylic gold foil
The pre-Colombian iconography and ancestral fabrics take center stage in her work both in the materials and in the execution of his works, thus maintaining a style so unique that celebrates the history and culture of his homeland. Her style is characterized by abstraction, with references to nature, its ancestral roots and spirituality.
Olga de Amaral uses a wide variety of materials, ranging from natural fibers such as linen and cotton to precious metals such as gold and silver; With them, she creates works that transcend the boundaries between art and craftsmanship with a meticulous and experimental style that allows her to explore the infinite possibilities of textiles, creating pieces that defy conventions.
One of the most distinctive features of Amaral’s work is her use of gold and silver in his fabrics, taking advantage of the richness of pre-Colombian culture, where these metals were considered sacred. She makes use of these through a laborious application and lamination process, creating surfaces with an incomparable luminosity and depth.
The use of gold and silver not only adds an aesthetic dimension to her works, but also gives them a profound symbolic meaning. For Amaral, these metals represent the connection between the earthly and the divine, between the past and the present, between tradition and innovation. In her expert hands, gold and silver become vehicles to explore universal themes such as identity, memory, and spirituality.
Olga de Amaral’s works of art are characterized by their rich texture and tactility. Through different weaving techniques that Amaral knows how to use, such as hand weaving, embroidery, and application, she creates surfaces that invite the sense of touch.
Amaral also allows himself to experiment with forms and structures in her works, which transcend the traditional dimensions of the canvas, and transform into three-dimensional sculptures that occupy the space in an imposing way.
Olga de Amaral’s impact on the art world has been widely recognized throughout her career. Her works have been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, from New York to Paris, from Tokyo to Buenos Aires. She has received numerous awards and honors, including the Colombian National Prize for Plastic Arts and the Spanish Fine Arts Medal, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to contemporary art.
