Samy Benmayor

Samy Benmayor
Born Samy Mauricio Benmayor Benmayor
January 24, 1956
Santiago, Chile
Nationality Chilean
Education University of Chile
Known for Painting
Notable work Carretelas en la Vega, Retrato de Augusto d'Halmar, Callejon de San Fernando, among others.
Movement 80s Generation
Awards Second Prize, 1979 Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Academy Contest, Santiago, Chile; Second Prize, 1980 Ministry of Foreign Affairs Art Contest, Santiago, Chile; 1981 Friends of Art Corporation Scholarship, Santiago, Chile; 1982 Friends of Art Corporation Scholarship, Santiago, Chile; Honourable Mention, 1982 LAN Chile National Visual Arts Contest, Plaza Mulato Gil, Santiago, Chile; Honourable Mention, 1985 Valparaíso International Art Biennale, Chile; Second Prize, 1987 “We Promote Art” Contest, Santiago, Chile; Honourable Mention 1987 PREALC Contest, Santiago, Chile; Second Prize, 1987 “We Promote Art” Contest, Santiago, Chile; Scholarship, 1988 U.S. Information Agency and Art Colonies Fund, United States;1989 United States Information Agency Fellowship in Visual Art at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Woodside, California, United States; 2000 Altazor Awards, Santiago, Chile; 2003 Marco Bonta Award, Chilean Academy of Fine Arts, Santiago, Chile.

Samy Mauricio Benmayor Benmayor (born Santiago, Chile, 24 January 1956)[1] is a Chilean painter who formed part of the Generation of '80 (Spanish: Generación del '80) movement.

Biography

Samy Benmayor came from a family of Sephardic Jewish origins. He grew up in a house in the central Santiago highway of Alameda and attended the Liceo Manuel de Salas high school. His father died when he was two years old.

In 1976, Benmayor enrolled at the University of Chile’s Faculty of Arts, where he studied with well-known artists such as Gonzalo Díaz and Rodolfo Opazo, obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1982. After his time at university, he was offered scholarships by several institutions to continue his education abroad. In 1981, the Chilean Corporación Amigos del Arte (“Friends of Art Corporation) awarded him scholarship to spend a year in New York. He was also awarded scholarships by the United States Information Agency and the Foundation for Artist Colonies in 1988 and 1989 to study visual arts at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, California. While in the United States he met Susana Mansilla, who would become his wife and manager.

Benmayor is considered one of the most important artists in Chile, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Chile and abroad. His work, ‘’Happiness of Childhood’’ (Spanish: “Alegría de la Infancia”), has been used as the logo for the Chile-Imagen project which promotes the work of Chilean artists.[2]

Style and technique

Benmayor belongs to the '80s Generation movement, primarily made up of artists originating from the art school at the University of Chile and linked to the German Neo-expressionism style. This generation has become famous for the innovative art they produced after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and during the dictatorship period,[3] shocking Chilean society.

Benmayor used traditional materials like oils and watercolours as media to represent childish and playful images.

His work is notable for its symbolism, leaving it to the observer to interpret what his shapes represent.[4]

Career

Work

Exhibition

Solo Exhibition
Joint Exhibitions

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Samy Benmayor Biography in Spanish) www.portaldearte.cl 2008, Retrieved May 20, 2013
  2. ↑ Samy Benmayor www.galeriaanimal.cl, Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ Generaciones - Promoción Ochenta, (80`s Generation ) Web Artistas Plásticos Chilenos, Biblioteca Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes Retrieved May 25, 2013
  4. ↑ Samy Benmayor, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Universidad de Chile www.mac.uchile.cl Retrieved May 25, 2013

External links