Ana Mercedes Hoyos was a Colombian painter, sculptor and a pioneer in modern art in the country.
In her half-century of artistic works, she garnered over seventeen awards of national and international recognition.
Beginning her career in a Pop Art style which moved towards abstract, her trajectory moved toward cubism and realism as she explored light, color, sensuality and the bounty of her surroundings.
Hoyos was born in Bogotá, Colombia to Ester Mejía Gutiérrez and Manuel José Hoyos Toro.
Her father was an architectural engineer and encouraged Hoyos in the study of art history.
She completed her primary and secondary schooling at Colegio Marymount in Bogotá, taking private lessons in painting under Luciano Jaramillo.
This formal schooling was offset with trips to Europe, Mexico and the United States to learn about art in other cultures.
Ana Mercedes Hoyos career
In 1963, Hoyos moved to New York City to study at the Art Students League of New York.
There, she was exposed to a wide range of artistic influences, including Pop Art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art.
She also began to experiment with different materials and techniques, such as acrylic paint, collage, and assemblage.
In 1967, Hoyos returned to Bogotá and began to exhibit her work in solo and group exhibitions.
Her work was praised for its originality and its exploration of the relationship between art and popular culture.
In 1972, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, which allowed her to travel to Europe and continue her studies.
In the 1980s, Hoyos’s work became more abstract. She began to use geometric shapes and bright colors to create compositions that were both visually appealing and intellectually stimulating.
Her work was included in major exhibitions of Latin American art in the United States, Europe and Latin America.
In the 1990s, Hoyos’s work became more figurative. She began to depict everyday objects and scenes from her life in Colombia.
Her work was praised for its humor, its warmth, and its celebration of the everyday.
Hoyos continued to exhibit her work until her death in 2014.
Her work is included in the collections of major museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the Tate Modern in London and the Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá.
Ana Mercedes Hoyos cause of death
Colombian painter and sculptor Ana Mercedes Hoyos died on September 5, 2014, at the age of 72.
The cause of her death was not publicly released, but her family said she had been hospitalized for a brief illness.
