Oswaldo Viteri
Encyclopedia
Oswaldo Viteri is a neo-figurative
artist. Viteri gained recognition for his assemblage work but has worked in a wide variety of media including painting, drawing, printmaking and mosaics. He began his education as a student of architecture at the Central University
of Quito
in 1951. He worked in the workshop of Oswaldo Guayasamín
and in 1959 Viteri assisted him on a mural commission for the Ministry of Public Works. During the 1960s he focused on painting and studying anthropology and folklore, In 1966, he finished his degree in architecture and Viteri was appointed director of the Ecuadorian Institute of Folklore. He began to explore more experimental techniques of art making incorporating collage
and objects into his canvases. He made his first assemblage works in 1968 and appeared in his first "Happening" that same year in Quito
. He began to exhibit his work internationally in the 1960s including the 1964 Bienale of Córdoba, Argentina
, and the 1969 São Paulo
Bienal for which he received honorable mention. His work became more sculptural in the 1970s such as his Multiples series of assemblage works that used rag dolls and other found objects. He has been twice candidate to the Prince of Asturias Awards
.
Neo-figurative
Neo-figurative art describes an expressionist revival in modern form of figurative art. The term neo and figurative emerged in the 1960s in Mexico and Spain to represent a new form of figurative art.-Neo-figurative artists:...
artist. Viteri gained recognition for his assemblage work but has worked in a wide variety of media including painting, drawing, printmaking and mosaics. He began his education as a student of architecture at the Central University
Central University of Ecuador
The Central University of Ecuador is a national university located in Quito, Ecuador. It is the oldest university in Ecuador, and one of the oldest in the Americas...
of Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
in 1951. He worked in the workshop of Oswaldo Guayasamín
Oswaldo Guayasamín
Oswaldo Guayasamín was a Quechua native and Ecuadorian master painter and sculptor.-Early life:...
and in 1959 Viteri assisted him on a mural commission for the Ministry of Public Works. During the 1960s he focused on painting and studying anthropology and folklore, In 1966, he finished his degree in architecture and Viteri was appointed director of the Ecuadorian Institute of Folklore. He began to explore more experimental techniques of art making incorporating collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
and objects into his canvases. He made his first assemblage works in 1968 and appeared in his first "Happening" that same year in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. He began to exhibit his work internationally in the 1960s including the 1964 Bienale of Córdoba, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, and the 1969 São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
Bienal for which he received honorable mention. His work became more sculptural in the 1970s such as his Multiples series of assemblage works that used rag dolls and other found objects. He has been twice candidate to the Prince of Asturias Awards
Prince of Asturias Awards
The Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
.
Notable Exhibitions
- Museo Nacional - Buenos Aires, Argentina (1986)
- Museo Rufino Tamayo - Mexico, D.F. (1988)
- National Museum - Moderna Museet - Stockholm, Sweden (1989)
- Museo Marco - Monterrey, Mexico (1995)
- Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes - Buenos Aires, Argentina (2002)
- Museum of Latin America Art (2003)