Omar Rayo

Omar Rayo Reyes (20 January 1928 – 7 June 2010) was a renowned Colombian painter, sculptor, caricaturist and plastic artist. He won the 1970 Salón de Artistas Colombianos. Rayo worked with abstract geometry primarily employing black, white, red and yellow. He was part of the Op Art movement. Rayo's work shows that geometric art is as much a part of the past as it is of the future. He used traces of the past to discover new ways to present visual and geometric sketches.

One of his most celebrated exhibitions was carried out in the National Room of the Museum of the Palace of fine arts of Mexico, titled "20 years, 100 works: Omar Rayo."

Museum

The Museo Rayo de Dibujo y Grabado Latinoamericano was founded on January 20, 1981 by Rayo in his hometown of Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca with funds the artist himself provided, along with help from Colombian government and others, so that on this site would remain a permanent exhibit of his works of art in the late 1980s. The museum was designed by Mexican architect Leopoldo Gout and opened with a collection of 2,000 of Rayo's artwork and some 500 other Latin American artists' works. The museum contains a library, many modules for expositions, a graphic arts workshop and a theater. Sadly government care has been diminishing, and Miss Agueda Pizarro had found a hard time carrying by with financial sustainment. Several activities are carried out by the foundation of the museum's for promoting arts in the region....

Museum's Location

The museum is called "Museo de dibujo y grabado latinoamericano", and it is located on Calle 8 No. 8-53 Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Tel. (092) 229-8623 Fax. (092) 229-7290.

Family

Omar Rayo was married to the poet and ARTS Management Águeda Pizarro. This union was born their daughter Sara Rayo Pizarro , who is also an artist and continues the legacy of her father.

Death

In the early hours of June 7, 2010, Rayo collapsed while having breakfast at his Roldanillo residence. He died on the way to a hospital in Cali, Colombia, after having suffered a heart attack.

References

• (Spanish) Museo Rayo
• (Spanish) Latin Art Museum; Omar Rayo
• (Spanish) El Tiempo, Colombia "Ómar Rayo murió de un infarto" [1]