Hugo Zapata


1945, Tebaida, Quindío, Colombia

Hugo Zapata studied both fine arts and architecture in Medellin. His work, which consists of sculptures extracted from a lutite stone he finds 800 km from his studio in the mountains outside Medellín, evokes the tensions and realities between nature and humankind. Zapata explains that the lines and markings found in the rocks as he carves them are those “things that the earth has written.” For Zapata, these findings contain all the history and memories of the landscape from which they hail, one that existed long before human beings ever did. The stones have always had a strong relationship with water, for that reason his sculptures at times include crystal or may be filled with water if the structure permits. Zapata implores those who encounter his pieces to touch and caress them, to embrace them and in doing so to feel a stronger connection to the earth. His work has been exhibited across Latin America, Mexico, United States, Seoul, Shanghai, Belgium, France, Switzerland Spain, England, and Israel.