The Fondation Cartier in Paris is currently celebrating the extraordinary career of Olga de Amaral, a pioneering Colombian artist who has redefined the possibilities of textile art. This retrospective highlights Amaral’s innovative approach to weaving and her ability to transform materials like linen, horsehair, gesso, gold leaf, and palladium into monumental, sculptural works that transcend traditional boundaries. Spanning over six decades, the exhibition explores nearly 80 pieces that reflect her mastery of color, texture, and form, as well as her deep connection to Colombia’s cultural heritage and pre-Columbian traditions.
Exhibition view © Olga de Amaral - Picture © Marc Domage
As a Latin American artist and woman working with textiles, Olga de Amaral’s story resonates deeply with me. Her journey mirrors the challenges many of us face in a medium often dismissed as craft or decorative. Yet, Olga shattered these perceptions, elevating textiles into the realm of fine art and inspiring generations of artists, including myself.
Her layered creations evoke geological strata or abstract maps, drawing from Colombia’s landscapes and cultural memory while remaining boldly contemporary. This duality—the ability to honor tradition while pushing creative boundaries—is profoundly inspiring. It reminds me that as artists, our work is more than creation; it is an act of preserving and transforming the stories, traditions, and landscapes that shape us.
Exhibition view © Olga de Amaral - Picture © Arts in the City
Amaral’s pivotal role in the Fiber Art movement challenged the status quo, breaking free from the constraints of "women’s work" and positioning textiles as a legitimate and bold art form. Her work defies categorization, standing alongside the avant-garde contributions of contemporaries like Magdalena Abakanowicz and Sheila Hicks. By foregrounding textile art’s ties to feminist and emancipatory movements, Amaral showed the world the power of weaving—not just as a physical act, but as a metaphor for connection, resilience, and transformation.
Exhibition view © Olga de Amaral - Picture © Arts in the City
For me, Olga de Amaral represents what it means to persevere and create against all odds. Her work is a space for contemplation and rebellion, where every thread resonates with individuality and as part of a greater whole. Through her art, she has not only transformed textiles but has also given women in the arts a legacy of boldness and possibility.
This exhibition is a tribute to her enduring impact and a reminder of the limitless potential of our medium. Olga de Amaral’s story is one of beauty, strength, and transformation—a beacon for Latin American artists and women in the art world.
Olga de Amaral at Casa Amaral, Bogotá, Colombia, 2005