Renowned Colombian painter Beatriz González died in Bogotá at 94 on Friday, January 9. Her son, Daniel Ripoll, confirmed the news of the artist and historian's passing. González was a key figure in contemporary Colombian art, noted for her work on the armed conflict and popular culture.
Beatriz González, born in 1932 in Bucaramanga, Santander, established herself as one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Colombian art. Her work, expressed through drawing, graphics, and sculpture, delved into Colombia's historical and cultural environment, with a deep focus on the armed conflict from the victims' perspective.
She also explored representations of popular culture icons, including sports idols, politicians, religious leaders, indigenous cultures, and pre-Columbian art. As an educator, curator, and archivist, she played a significant role in shaping Colombia's visual identity.
In 2020, she donated to the Banco de la República an archive of over 100,000 documents collected over sixty years of her career. These include personal documents, press clippings, correspondence, posters, and brochures that capture her intellectual and creative thought, as well as the context of her trajectory.
Her death, which occurred in the afternoon of Friday, January 9, in Bogotá, leaves an invaluable legacy in Colombian art.