A couple companeros and I went to the Oswaldo Guayasamin home and museum on Friday. He is far and away Ecuador's most famous artist.

 His home is in a beautiful area, Bellavista which overlooks a lot of Quito including the volcano Pichincha which appears in several of his paintings.  He and his brother, an architect, designed the home and he lived there for 20 years before his death in 1999.  Guayasamin's work is displayed all across the front of the General Assembly building ...photos below.  They would not allow us to take any photos inside the museum yesterday but many of his originals are hung there and they were beautiful.   We had a tour of his home, exterior photos below, and it is terrific.   The tour guide says it is in the same condition as it was when he lived here which is amazing because there are a lot of museum type artifacts all over the place.   We saw his studio and some of his unfinished works.  Almost all of his painting are huge.


  The guide pointed out a wall of photographs of him in his studio showing him with a bunch of world leaders and other artists and authors...none, not one, of him with anyone from the US.   Among his paintings that are displayed in the General Assembly building, there is only one representing the US and that is the one "CIA with a Darth Vader looking mask."  He was no fan of the US and that sentiment seems to continue today with the government of Ecuador.  On the other hand, there is a huge painting of Fidel in his studio.  He was married three times and has 7 children.  One of his sons who appeared to be in his 70s was giving an interview in the main salon when we arrived.  We waited for a few minutes and when the interview moved to another room , our tour began.  

As a side note,  the brother of my host family in Nayon is a Priest and performed Guayasamin's funeral. 

It is interesting that at the end of his life, he went to an eye clinic in Baltimore to have some eye surgery related to his diabetes.  Apparently the surgery was successful, but while he was in Baltimore, he died of a heart attack.  He was 80.

The view of Quito from one point on the museum grounds. 

This is his home which is now the museum...it is really stunning...I wanted to  take some pictures of the architectural aspects but not allowed.

This is the wine cellar...next is a photo through the wooden posts in front...there was no actual wine being stored...just some on  display but we could not go in.

THis the front of the home, looking out to the pool and across the lawn to the view of Quito...I am sure it is really spectacular at night.  There are just beautiful examples of pre-Columbian and Colonial art all over the place.

THis is inside the General assembly building where the Guayasamin art is displayed all across the front of the chamber.  His mother was mestizo but his dad was indigenous, a taxi driver in Quito.   Guayasamin focused most of his art on the plight of the lower classes and the indigenous and their struggles.  The only reference to the US is the CIA painting up there in the corner. 

Another view of the art and the seats of the assembly persons in the chamber. 

 Other than this, I am still in the hostel in Quito waiting for an assignment.  Other evacuees are here too so its not just me.  Its 3 weeks today when my mosquito net started swinging wildly.  I have been working with another volunteer with her class in a school in North Quito.  It has been good to have something positive to do but I would like to get started on my actual assignment.