Bristol’s Spike Island has announced the death of Colombian artist Ofelia Rodríguez. Born in Barranquilla, on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, Rodríguez is known for her use of mass-produced objects and mythical imagery in her works as she explored childhood memories and imaginary realities. In her brightly coloured paintings, prints and sculptures, she has offered critical reflections on gender and cultural identity, presented through dark humour and irony.
Rodríguez’s artistic training began at the Escuela de Bellas Artes, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, after which she attended Yale University in New Haven and the Pratt Institute in New York. From 1978–80, she travelled to Paris to study at Atelier 17, where she presented her first series of ‘Magic Boxes’ – doored wooden boxes with various objects painted or installed inside like reliquaries – a format that she continued to create throughout her career. In 1984, she relocated to London.
Rodríguez’s work has been exhibited at venues including the Queens Museum of Art (1988); the 5th Havana Biennale, Cuba (1995); Museo de Arte Moderno, Cali, Colombia (1995); MAMBO, Museo de Arte Moderno de Bogotá, Colombia (2008); MOLAA, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California (2011, 2017 and 2021); and Instituto de Visión, Bogotá, Colombia (2017). Her works are held in collections such as Essex Collection of Art from Latin America at The University of Essex and Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California.
An upcoming survey of Rodríguez’s work, Talking in Dreams, will be on view at Bristol’s Spike Island from 30 September 2023 – 14 January, 2024.
