Latin American Abstract Painting: From Torres-García to Ramírez Villamizar

Latin American abstract painting has a history deeply intertwined with the search for identity and modernity. Joaquín Torres-García established a bridge between European abstraction and pre-Columbian symbolism, proposing a “constructive universality” that influenced several generations.

In the mid-20th century, geometric abstraction, kinetic art, and constructive aesthetics consolidated in countries such as Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia.

Artists like Jesús Rafael Soto, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Tomás Maldonado, Lygia Pape, and Waldemar Cordeiro developed visual languages that engaged with science, perception, and movement.

In Colombia, Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar explored minimalist and architectural structures that redefined modern national art.

Latin American abstraction remains a central reference point for contemporary artists who reinterpret geometries, rhythms, and cultural patterns.

Latamarte