Fernando de Szyszlo

biography

One of the most important 20th century artists from Peru, Fernando de Szyszlo is best known for his abstract painting and sculpture, which often fused European styles of modern art with native Peruvian motifs. 

Born in 1925 in Lima, Peru to an indigenous Peruvian mother and a European, father de Szyszlo attended architecture school, which he dropped out of to pursue an education in the plastic arts. 

After graduting University, de Szyszlo  moved to Europe where he lived in Paris and Florence from 1948 to 1955, soaking in the work of the great European modernists who would change the trajectory of his work over time. 

After returning to Peru in the 1950’s, de Szyszlo was celebrated for his groundbreaking work, which began to fuse European styles of abstraction and cubism native Peruvian (specifically Incan) imagery, symbols and motifs.

In the late 1950’s Fernando de Szyszlo lived in Washington DC for two years and later became an artist in residency at Cornel University, where he also lectured in art.

Fernando de Szyszlo died in his native Lima, Peru in 2017

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