Olga de Amaral by Ann Coxon

Olga de Amaral by Ann Coxon

Gathering around a hundred works as well as many archive photographs, this book on artist Olga de Amaral retraces the evolution of her practice over time and the major role she played in the revolution of Fiber Art.

Olga de Amaral is an emblematic figure of the Colombian art scene and of Fiber Art. Unclassifiable, her work borrows as much from Modernist principles, as from her cultural heritage and traditional Colombian weaving techniques. A contemporary of Magdalena Abakanowicz and Sheila Hicks, she participated in the revolution of Fiber Art in the 1960s and 1970s.

Amaral's hand-woven works combine natural fibres, paint, plaster and precious metals, and reflect her interest in architecture and geometry. While her early works featured geometric motifs and bright colours, those of the 1970s marked the start of her research on three-dimensionality, with works that free themselves from the wall to invade space. She then returned to a more human and intimate scale, with colours inspired by Colombian landscapes.

From October 2024 to March 2025, the Fondation Cartier unveils the full richness and power of Amaral's art in her first major retrospective in Europe. Bringing together historical works never presented outside Colombia, as well as contemporary pieces with vibrant shapes and colours, the exhibition highlights the artist's career-long experimentation with materials, scale, and three-dimensionality.