Ramón Oviedo

Ramón Oviedo was born on February 7, 1924, in Barahona, Dominican Republic. Coming from humble origins, he began working in a photoengraving workshop as a child. His early career took him through advertising, cartography, and print design before he dedicated himself entirely to painting in the 1960s.

Though his formal training was limited, Oviedo became a devoted student of art through constant visits to museums and exhibitions. He developed a powerful visual language that merged abstract forms with symbolic and figurative elements, creating works that could be carved in stone or cast in bronze. His palette was both intense and transparent, challenging viewers and exciting the eye.

Oviedo's art was deeply rooted in social consciousness. His famous mural "24 de Abril" (1965) won first prize in the April Revolution art competition, establishing him as an artist committed to his community and human concerns. He earned international recognition, winning awards at the São Paulo Biennial in 1972 and the Grand Prize at the Santo Domingo Biennial in 1974.

Many consider Oviedo the greatest visual artist ever born in the Dominican Republic, placing him alongside Latin American masters like Rufino Tamayo and Oswaldo Guayasamín. He passed away on July 12, 2015, in Santo Domingo at age 91, leaving behind a monumental legacy celebrated in museums and collections worldwide.