Bernardo Oyarzún

Born 1963 in Los Muermos, Llanquihue, Chile.

Bernardo Oyarzún earned his Bachelor Degree in Visual Arts with Honours in Painting and Engraving at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Chile.

First and foremost his works contain references that are taken from the marginal sectors of society and thus are inserted in a proletarian, mestizo background. In trying to relate popularized art with the contemporary art of Latino origin, which he refers to as the Latin-American Baroque whose aesthetic essence is in danger of being erased by images promoted by the market, he seeks to visualize a culture that lies repudiated by ist own people who are seduced by a market which feeds the hypocrisy of a consumer society imbued by social climbing.

His works were exhibited in individual and group shows in Chile, as well as various international art biennales such as the Biennale of Valencia in 2007, the Biennale of Ponteverda (2006) and the PRAGUEBIENNALE 1 (2003).

Individual exhibitions include the works »Teleserie« (Soap Opera), Metropolitana Gallery, Santiago, Chile (2007), »Eco Sistema« (Ecosystem), Galeria Gabriela Mistral, Santiago (2005), »Trabajo Farzado« (Forced Labour), Animal Gallery, Santiago, Chile (2003), »Proporciones de Cuerpo« (Body Proportions), Matucana 100 Gallery, Santiago, Chile (2003), and »Photo Album«, Galeria Gabriela Mistral, Santiago (1999).

Group Shows include: »Off / Fóra – Movimientos Imaginarios entre Galicia y el Cono Sur«, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires (2007); »Figura humana – Fotografia chilena contemporánea«, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Santiago (2006); 29. Bienal de Pontevedra – »Off / Fóra: Movimientos Imaginarios entre Galicia y el Cono Sur«, Bienal de Pontevedra, Pontevedra (2006); »Colección MAC«, Mac Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Universidad de Chile, Santiago (2003).

He received the prizes »Primer Lugar Categoria Consagrados«, Concurso Artes y Letras (2003),
»Prize of Honour«, II Sálon Internacional de Arte, SIART 2001, Bolivia (2001), »Prize of Honour«,
XV Concurso de Arte Joven, Universidad de Valparaiso (1993), and the first prize at the Painting Competition, Chile Crea (1988).