Chilean painter
Samy Mauricio Benmayor Benmayor (born 24 January 1956) is a Chilean painter who formed part of the Generation of '80 (Spanish: "Generación del '80") movement.
Biography.
Samy Benmayor was born in Santiago, Chile, and came from a family of Sephardic Jewish origins. He grew up in a house in the central Santiago highway of Alameda and attended the high school. His father died when he was two years old.
In 1976, Benmayor enrolled at the University of Chile’s Faculty of Arts, where he studied with well-known artists such as Gonzalo Díaz and Rodolfo Opazo, obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1982. After his time at university, he was offered scholarships by several institutions to continue his education abroad. In 1981, the Chilean Corporación Amigos del Arte (“Friends of Art Corporation) awarded him scholarship to spend a year in New York City. He was also awarded scholarships by the United States Information Agency and the Foundation for Artist Colonies in 1988 and 1989 to study visual arts at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program in Woodside, California. While in the United States he met Susana Mansilla, who would become his wife and manager.
Benmayor is considered one of the most important artists in Chile, participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Chile and abroad. His work, ‘’Happiness of Childhood’’ (Spanish: “Alegría de la Infancia”), has been used as the logo for the Chile-Imagen project which promotes the work of Chilean artists.
Style and technique.
Benmayor belongs to the '80s Generation movement, primarily made up of artists originating from the art school at the University of Chile and linked to the German Neo-expressionism style. This generation has become famous for the innovative art they produced after the 1973 Chilean coup d'état and during the dictatorship period, shocking Chilean society.
Benmayor used traditional materials like oils and watercolours as media to represent childish and playful images.
His work is notable for its symbolism, leaving it to the observer to interpret what his shapes represent.
References.
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