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Jairo Prado, originally of Colombia, has lived and worked as an artist in Nashville for more than 17 years. His philosophy is, “Art is a part of everyday life. It is the vehicle used to invoke the spirit of our existence.” Long ago, he began a quest to discover the purest forms, colors, textures, and movements of life. He says that he can now see how the solid geometrical forms of his pre-Colombian heritage have dissolved into color and texture. The influence of American imagery and the difference in culture have further impacted his work. Figures once depicted in a realistic fashion have become more abstract and some of his paintings have become raw expressions of passion.
In addition to being a working artist, Prado is currently an instructor at the Watkins College of Art & Design as well as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts at Nashville. In 2001, he won the Cultural Treasure Award from the Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville. His work was included in the 2002 biennial Best of Tennessee Craft Artists exhibition at the Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga, Tenn., and his work was purchased for The Millennium Collection of the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. In 1999, Prado held a solo exhibition entitled One Man’s Journey at the Tennessee Arts Commission gallery. |
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