The Women Leading the Way
The art scene in Latin America is rich, vibrant, and diverse. From native peoples’ art to contemporary names, there’s much to see in the region. The mix of ancient tradition, European colonization, and the fight for freedom and social justice are present in the work of many women artists over the centuries. Women have played a key role in art movements throughout the region (think Frida Kahlo, Tarsila do Amaral, Cecilia Vicuña) and continue to lead the way of contemporary art from Mexico to Uruguay. Here are five essential names of women artists from Latin America today.
Doris Salcedo
Born in Colombia, in 1958, Doris Salcedo creates powerful installations that discuss the themes of mourning, memory, and loss. Part of her practice is to displace objects from their familiar settings to illustrate absence, not being present, and how the emptiness that is left by someone affects relationships between people, communities, and more broadly, in society.
In her work, Salcedo has highlighted the conflicts and violence in Colombia, the migration crisis, and war, always investigating the disappearance of loved ones.
Present in major collections and exhibitions around the world, Salcedo was awarded the Tate Modern Turbine Hall commission in 2007 and created Shibboleth, a massive crack in the floor, representing division and exclusion.