Ramírez before Villamizar is a tribute that the Bogotá Museum of Modern Art – MAMBO pays to Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar (1922-2004) on the occasion of the centennial of his birth.
The exhibition title references his first signature, “Ramírez”, which he used to sign his earlier paintings from the 40s and 50s before using both of his last names as his artistic name. This early period features portraits, the innocent figuration of seashells and fruits, and a Cubism where he experiments with geometry for the first time.
The exhibition also displays the Hernán Díaz photographic archive, made up of negatives, contact sheets, prints, letters, and memorabilia —most of it shown here for the first time—. Díaz was one of the most renowned photographers in Colombia and a close friend of Ramírez Villamizar. Also included in the archive are quotes, interviews, and conversations that shed light on the artist’s thinking in his own words.