Félix Aráuz (born 1935 in

Guayaquil , motto = Por Guayaquil Independiente en, For Independent Guayaquil , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Ecuador#South America , pushpin_re ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

) is an

Ecuadorian Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are colle ...

painter. Aráuz is among the art circles of

Enrique Tábara Luis Enrique Tábara (21 February 1930 – 25 January 2021 Aníbal Villacís Aníbal Villacís (1927, Ambato, Ecuador – March 7, 2012) was a master painter from Ecuador who used raw earthen materials such as clay and natural pigments to paint on walls and doors throughout his city when he could not afford expensive artis ...

, José Carreño and

Juan Villafuerte Juan Villafuerte (July 19, 1945 – August 15, 1977) (Juan Antonio Villafuerte Estrada) was an artist known for his transmutated drawings and paintings. Villafuerte is among the ranks of other prominent Latin American painters such as Eduard ...

. In 1957, Aráuz began studying under César Andrade Faini at the School of Fine Arts. During his second year, his father died leaving Aráuz feeling nostalgic and isolated. Aráuz funneled his emotions into his work creating some of the most beautiful, heartfelt and dreamlike imagery to date. Both his use of color and his compositions are strong and designed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. Aráuz's subjects usually include surreal flower arrangements, the innocence of children, faces, 'trees of life', landscapes and abstracts - all of which are created with a personal dreamlike aesthetic. In 1967, Aráuz married Nila Villafuerte Estrada, older sister of

. Aráuz,

and José Carreño had a very close friendship forged at the School of Fine Arts. In the same year, Arauz received a government scholarship to travel to the United States with the fellow master painter Gilberto Almeida a member of the VAN group, an artist collective founded by

and Jaime Villa in order to study galleries and museums throughout New York,

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Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

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and

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. In 1970, arranged through his friend, Jaime Andrade, Aráuz exhibited two paintings at the

Pan American Union The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...

in Washington, D.C. and at Gallery Kromex in New York. Both exhibits were considered notable. In 1971, Aráuz obtained The Great Prize of Julio National Hall in Guayaquil. In 1987, Aráuz traveled to

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...

, Switzerland to exhibit with his friend Eloísa Melo. From there, Aráuz traveled to

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

and exhibited with Víctor Mideros. Finally, Aráuz met up with longtime friend and colleague Jose Carreño in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. Aráuz has been a professor at the School of Fine Arts since 1966 and continues to paint in his studio in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Awards and medals

1965 & 1969 Second Prize, National Hall, October, Guayaquil, Ecuador 1963 & 1972 First Prize, National Hall, October, Guayaquil, Ecuador 1968 Great prize, Gold Medal, National Hall, Guayaquil, Ecuador 1971 Great Prize, National Hall, Guayaquil, Ecuador 1975 Second Prize, National Hall, Guayaquil, Ecuador 1981 Gold Medal of Artistic Merit, granted by the illustrious Municipality of Guayaquil. 1996 Gold Brush Cultural Association.

References

* Municipalidad de Guayaquil - www.guayaquil.gov.ec/data/salondejulio/antecedentes.htm * Salvat, ''Arte Contemporáneo de Ecuador''. Salvat Editores Ecuatoriana, S.A., Quito,

, 1977. * Arte Ecuatoriano, Salvat, Volume IV. 1935 births Living people Guayaquil Ecuadorian painters Modern painters People from Guayaquil {{Ecuador-painter-stub