Interior Decor

Olga de Amaral Retrospective Presents Intersection of Identity

July 16, 2025

The Institute of Contemporary Art in Miami is proud to present a retrospective of Colombian artist Olga de Amaral. A titan in her field, the exhibition follows her six-decade career as an artist and educator, a singular voice in post-war Latin American abstraction. Transforming the landscape of textile and fiber art as we know it, this landmark exhibition presented in collaboration with Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain unveils 50 works from throughout the artist’s career, many of which have never been seen outside Colombia. With this exhibition, Amaral continues to pave a new path, answering innate questions through her practice, making an inner world known.

Exhibition view, “Olga de Amaral” at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, presented with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, May 1 – October 12, 2025. © Olga de Amaral \\\ Photo: © Kris Tamburello

Indigenous weaving techniques meet Bauhaus abstraction, inviting viewers through a meditative “vertical forest.” The artist veers away from rigidity and conformity, each piece not only a different size, but showcasing textile manipulations that span multiple different types of South American weaving. As much architectural as they are art, the pieces fill up the room in large bursts of color, transparencies flitting through thousands of individual threads. Vertices of ‘light’ emerge, all thanks to optical illusions imbued into the fibers. Large, immersive, and honest, these pieces capture the eye and heart equally. The two-dimensional seamlessly engages with the third, bringing a life to space that is reflexively authentic. The goal is to understand and be understood, in an ongoing dialogue between artist and viewer.

Three large hanging textile artworks displayed in a bright, modern gallery with floor-to-ceiling windows and light wood floors.

A close-up view of a weaving loom with vertical threads, showing a ruler and a green-yellow geometric shape within the woven fabric, reminiscent of Olga de Amaral's intricate textile artistry.

Vertical lines in shades of red and black create an abstract pattern, reminiscent of Olga de Amaral's textured fabric works or painted streaks running from top to bottom.

Hanging textile panels by Olga de Amaral made of vertical strings—one gray with a black oval, another yellow with a white arc—are displayed in a modern gallery space with wood floors.

Themes of geometry, light, and impermanence emerge, reflecting upon our intertwined humanity. Monumental goldleaf Estelas describe a journey through experience itself, time-intensive work creating a natural bond with the piece. Emotional bond is imperative to Amaral, creating a dialogue of “off stretcher” works throughout her career, extending possibility past the canvas.

Large contemporary gallery with polished wood floors, displaying various colorful woven textile artworks hanging from thin vertical poles.

Multiple large woven textile artworks hang from the ceiling in a modern gallery space with wooden floors, white walls, and minimal furnishings.

Two large woven textile artworks, one gold and one multicolored, hang vertically from ceiling-mounted supports in a modern gallery with wood floors and gray walls.

Stacked reddish-brown bricks are arranged in uneven vertical piles, creating a textured wall with varying heights and visible gaps—evoking the intricate, layered compositions seen in Olga de Amaral’s works.

Several large, colorful woven textile panels by Olga de Amaral hang from the ceiling in a bright, modern gallery space with light wood floors and minimal furnishings.

Three textured hanging textile artworks in shades of yellow, orange, and gray are displayed in a modern gallery with wooden floors and a small bench.

A hanging art installation inspired by Olga de Amaral, with layered, textured pieces resembling scales, floats above a small round table in a modern, minimalist room featuring sleek wood floors.

A reflective silver bench sits on a wooden floor in front of several large, hanging textile artworks in a modern gallery space.

A close-up of a woven textile inspired by Olga de Amaral, featuring interlaced threads in blue, white, red, and tan that create a textured, wave-like pattern.

Installation view of large, colorful woven and knotted textile artworks hanging in a modern gallery space with light wood floors and white walls.

Large contemporary art gallery with colorful textile installations hanging from ceiling and walls, mirrored tables, and a person walking through the space.

A person stands in a modern art gallery viewing colorful, textured textile artworks and framed pieces hanging from the ceiling on display.

A modern gallery space displays various large, colorful woven textile artworks hanging from the ceiling, with a reflective bench on the wooden floor.

Contemporary art gallery with colorful textile installations hanging from the ceiling and mirrored benches on a light wooden floor.

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Olga de Amaral expertly crafts textile works from fiber, paint, gesso, and precious metals that embody a marked presence wherever they go. Studying at the Cranbrook Academy of Arts, honing her signature style, unbound by style or convention. This knowledge propelled her to establish and direct the Textile Department at the Universidad de los Andes (University of the Andes) in Bogotá, investing in multiple new generations of fiber expertise. Receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1973, and being named “Artist Visionary” by the Museum of Modern Art in 2005, her work is hosted in over forty museums, broadcasting her indelible impact across the globe.

Art installation featuring textile and woven works, framed pieces, and wall-mounted sculptures displayed in a spacious, modern gallery with polished floors and white walls.

Several large, textured panels in gold, black, and silver hang suspended from the ceiling in a minimalist gallery space with wooden floors.

To learn more about the Olga de Amaral retrospective at ICA Miami, which is on display until October 12, 2025, visit icamiami.com.

Growing up in NYC has given Aria a unique perspective into art + design, constantly striving for new projects to get immersed in. An avid baker, crocheter, and pasta maker, handwork and personal touch is central to what she loves about the built environment. Outside of the city, she enjoys hiking, biking, and learning about space.

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