Biography

Osvaldo Reyes Born in Santiago Chile in 1919, has developed his creative work in a wide variety of topics, applying various techniques.

The social reality in Latin America, the intimacy of the one that suffers, the contradictions which face humanity in this century, and nature, are the central themes which inspire his work. Among his paintings there are portraits, landscapes, and still life; to express these themes he has mainly used oil, piroxiline, water colors and ink.

The critics identity his style as social realism, surrealism and the environmental symbolism. He belongs to the generation of the 1940's and has been influenced by the Mexican and French styles. Reyes work's revolves around the need to preserve nature which is endangered by the industrial development taking place in Latin America also, vegetation is presently an important theme in Osvaldo Reyes' work.

His paintings have been exhibited in various countries in Latin America, Europe and North America. His works can be found in private collections and museums in Canada, Chile, United States, France, Japan and Mexico. He has also exhibited his paintings in the University of Toronto and York University. Moreover, he has vast experience in the education and academic fields.

In Santiago, Chile he studied in the School of Fine Arts and in the Institute of Education of the University of Chile. This university and the Mexican Government awarded him a scholarship in 1949 to continue his studies in Mural Art. In Mexico, he was under the tutelage of masters such as David Alfaro Siquieros, Diego Rivera, Federico Cantu, Francisco de la Maza, Jose Gutierrez y Raul Anguiano. He also studied in the School of Fine Arts of the Autonomous University of Mexico, created by Diego Rivera.

During this period he also worked as an assistant for the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral ( Nobel Prize of Literature), who has also influenced Reyes works.
On his return to Chile, he continued his muralist work as well as his work as a professor. Two award winning Chilean artists, Anita Cortes and Laureano Guevara, were also decisive in his development as an artist. Also important in his artistic development were Armando Lira, Oscar Gacitua, Armando Sanchez and Augusto Equiluz.

He painted the mural "La Ronda" (The Round), inspired by the poem of the same written by Gabriela Mistral.