Born in Pamplona, on August 27, 1922, and died in Bogotá, on August 24, 2004. Ramirez-Villamizar was a Colombian painter and sculptor. He is one of Latin America’s most important modern artists of the second half of the 20th century. He was a pioneer of abstract and minimalist art in his country and his work had a continental impact. He began to work in sculpture in 1959, exploring different materials and formats.
An architect by profession, he always prepared his work previously in cardboard models and took care of every detail, testing the balance, modulation, and monumentality. With pieces of tape, he joined the modular plates which allowed him to make the necessary corrections and adjustments prior to cutting and welding the final pieces.
The work Black and White is part of the private collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, on several occasions, it was awarded the First Prize in the Hall of Colombian Artists in the years 1959, 1962, 1964, and 1966. Significant prizes won by Guggenheim International. He was appointed Professor of Painting at the New York University Department of Art Education. His sculptures are in private collections and in museums around the world.
His work by him was influenced by refined geometry, which was inspired by the ancestral cultures of the Andes and more classical movements. An important chapter is the legacy of Ramírez Villamizar with his abundant work in public spaces in Colombia, the United States, Venezuela, and Cuba.