Ada Balcacer - Palma series I

Ada Balcácer, the Dominican painter and visual artist whose luminous work and decades of teaching shaped the course of national art, died this past Christmas Day in Miami at the age of 95. Born in San Juan de la Maguana, she graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in 1951 and went on to perfect her craft at the University of Río Piedras (Puerto Rico) and in New York, where she combined studies in design with ceramics and engraving.

A leading figure in the Nueva Imagen movement that emerged in 1972, Balcácer explored multiple aesthetic languages across painting, mural work, ceramics, and printmaking. Her pieces have been exhibited widely and are held in major public collections: the National Museum of Havana; the Inter-American Development Bank Gallery in Washington; the Palaces of Fine Arts in Mexico and Caracas; and the Museum of Modern Art of Santo Domingo, among others.

Among her most celebrated public works is the mural The Transparent Palm in the Dominican Tourist Information Center in New York. Her painting The Magician of the Landscape was selected by the United Nations to illustrate a postage stamp—an emblem of the international recognition her work achieved. Notable thematic cycles include Mythology and Legend (Taticas, Carnival, and Bacá, 1969–1972) and Geometry and Composition (Participating Spaces, 1972–1978).

Balcácer’s contributions were recognized throughout her career: first prize and gold medal at the E. León Jimenes awards (1967); Artist of the Year from the University Cultural Movement (1970); honors at the V American Biennial of Graphic Arts in Cali (1986); the Grand Prix of the Diplomatic World (Santo Domingo, 1987); and the Corripio Foundation Art Prize (2014), among others. Beyond accolades, she leaves an enduring legacy as a teacher and cultural activist whose sensitivity to light and color profoundly influenced generations of Dominican artists.

Rest in peace, beloved teacher of light—may your colors continue to illuminate our skies and our memory.

72" x 30"

Oil on canvas

1981

This painting is from the early 1980's, from the Palma series, by this Dominican Master. This is an important, and monumental painting.

Balcacer’s paintings represent a mixture of great beauty, whimsy, romance, substance, magic, and power. Good works by Balcacer are becoming harder to find, as the demand for her work has risen dramatically over the past few years. MLA Gallery has an excellent selection of original works on canvas, and paper. Ada Balcacer is considered one of the five most significant artists in the history of the Dominican Republic.

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