MIAMI, FLORIDA — Gary Nader Art Centre presents Oswaldo Guayasamín: Important Works, an exhibition opening November 19, 2026, in Wynwood. Bringing together a selection of works by the Ecuadorian artist (1919–1999), the exhibition offers an encounter with a practice that confronted violence and injustice while insisting on the possibility of hope.

Guayasamín made the human condition the subject of a lifelong inquiry. Born in Quito, he traveled across Latin America, where the lives and histories of Indigenous, Black and mestizo communities informed his early series Huacayñán. His later work addressed the brutality of the twentieth century with an intensity that brought international attention to a painter who understood art as a form of witness. His work entered the Museum of Modern Art’s collection and appeared in its 1943 exhibition The Latin-American Collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Art as witness

The works in the exhibition offer a concentrated view of that artistic and human commitment. Dated works in the selection extend from 1970 to 1993, placing Guayasamín’s enduring concerns in conversation across more than two decades. Their significance lies in what they make possible together: an encounter with an artist whose condemnation of suffering remained inseparable from his attention to dignity, tenderness and the bonds that sustain us.

Among the highlights is Manos de la Esperanza (1970), an oil on canvas whose title introduces hope into a composition of striking emotional tension. Also on view, Madre y niño en fondo azul (1990) brings another dimension of Guayasamín’s vision into focus. The mother and child are held within a close embrace, a subject that connects to a recurring preoccupation in his work and to the later body of paintings known as La Ternura, inspired by his mother and dedicated to mothers around the world.

A portrait of Rigoberta Menchú, represented in the exhibition by a print, introduces a singular historical presence. The Guatemalan Indigenous rights advocate received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. Seen alongside the other works, her image connects Guayasamín’s humanist vision to a life dedicated to social justice.

“Guayasamín belongs to a generation of artists who gave Latin American art a powerful voice in the international conversation. His work asks us to confront the world around us and recognize our shared humanity. Bringing these works together in Miami allows us to experience the depth and continuing relevance of that vision.”

— Gary Nader

Guayasamín’s international career encompassed painting, drawing and monumental commissions. In Quito, he conceived La Capilla del Hombre as a space dedicated to the history and dignity of Latin America’s peoples. Important Works invites visitors to experience that larger vision through an intimate selection, where the force of his images can be felt up close.

Exhibition information

Oswaldo Guayasamín: Important Works
Opening: November 19, 2026
Gary Nader Art Centre
62 NE 27th Street, Miami, FL 33137

About Gary Nader Art Centre

Founded by Gary Nader in Miami, Gary Nader Art Centre is dedicated to presenting significant modern and contemporary art through exhibitions and cultural programming. With a longstanding commitment to artistic excellence and public engagement, the Art Centre brings audiences into dialogue with major international artists and works to strengthen Miami’s position as a cultural destination while making fine art more accessible.