Colombian art bids farewell to one of its greatest figures: Hugo Zapata—sculptor, architect, and visual artist—passed away this morning at the age of 79.
The artist dedicated his life to transforming stone into visual poetry, becoming an essential figure in contemporary art in Colombia and Latin America.
Born in the Coffee Region, Zapata lived his entire life in Medellín, where his family moved when he was one years old. Deeply connected to the city, he received the Gold Shield from the University of Antioquia last November in recognition of his lifetime career.
Colombian sculptor Hugo Zapata dies at 79
Zapata was an artist profoundly connected to nature and geological time. Working with materials such as shale, porphyry, and slate, his art explored not only form but also the Earth’s ancestral memory.
“Before man invented writing, the Earth was already writing,” the master once said, convinced that stone held the universe’s stories.
“‘Black stone (shale) and iron oxides revealed formal possibilities to him which, after undergoing rational and technical procedures (cuts and caresses), began to unveil their hidden mysteries. His passion and obsession for geology in general led him to encounter water. Rock and water intersect to shape his work in the realm of the sacred,'” says the University of Antioquia regarding his works.
Among his most emblematic pieces is “Poniente” (Sunset), an installation of 365 basalt columns arranged on a water mirror in front of the National Printing Office in Bogotá. This work interacts with light and water, creating a sensory experience that connects viewers to natural cycles.
Zapata also left his mark on public and private spaces in cities like Medellín, Rionegro, and Netanya (Israel), where his sculpture “Cáliz” (Chalice) is part of the Latin America Sculpture Park.
Beyond his artistic work, Zapata was a committed educator. He studied visual arts at the University of Antioquia and architecture at the National University of Colombia in Medellín.
In the 1970s, he spearheaded the creation of the Visual Arts program at the National University’s Medellín campus, serving as its first director. For three decades, he balanced sculpture with teaching, training generations of artists with a holistic vision of art and society.
Hugo Zapata’s awards and exhibitions
Hugo Zapata’s work gained recognition both in Colombia and abroad. He participated in exhibitions in Germany, the United States, Argentina, France, Mexico, China, and other countries. In 2024, the University of Antioquia awarded him the Gold Shield, its highest honor, in recognition of his artistic and academic career.
In 1989, he was awarded the Prize at the XXXII National Salon of Colombian Artists in Cartagena. However, one of the major milestones of his career was his participation in the 1996 São Paulo Biennial in Brazil, where he represented Colombia with the work Espejos de agua (Water Mirrors).
His works are housed in some of the most prestigious museums and private collections in Colombia and around the world.
His last major exhibition, “Hay un eco en esa roca” (There’s an Echo in That Rock), was presented at the El Castillo Museum in Medellín in September 2024. The show offered a retrospective of his work, highlighting his ability to reveal the essence of stone and its connection to time and nature.
The event also featured his works Afloramientos (Outcrops), los Testigos (the Witnesses), los Cantos a la Tierra (Songs to the Earth), los Bolos (the Bowls), los Vigías (the Sentinels), los Amantes (the Lovers), las Inflexiones (the Inflections), el Escudo (the Shield), los Mandalas (the Mandalas), la Barca (the Boat), and el Nao (the Ship), among his most outstanding pieces.
The eternal legacy of the Colombian artist
Hugo Zapata leaves an indelible legacy in Colombian art history. His work, deeply rooted in the earth and time, invites reflection on our connection with nature and ancestral memory. As he himself expressed: “La piedra no solo guarda el tiempo, lo revela” (Stone doesn’t just hold time, it reveals it).
Additionally, he founded the School of Arts at the National University’s Medellín Campus. Colleagues there recall how the new program offered students “un concepto cambiante” (a changing concept).
Participants had autonomy to choose a topic of interest and explore it in depth. The academy provided them with a framework, which they could modify or transform. Traditional art subjects were taught, but the core was the so-called Central Workshop – the space that allowed each student to find their own expression.
Beyond his artistic production, Zapata was known for his generosity and commitment to culture. He supported initiatives like the Medellín International Choral Festival, to which he donated the sculpture “Diapasón” (Tuning Fork) for fundraising.
He also collaborated with the Medellín Museum of Modern Art and other cultural institutions, demonstrating his conviction that art should serve the community.
With his passing, Colombia mourns a master who knew how to listen to the voice of stone and translate it into forms that speak to the soul. His legacy will endure in every sculpture, in every space he transformed, and in every artist he inspired.