#15789 Oswaldo Guayasamin

The composition presents a cluster of faces rendered in a highly stylized and fragmented manner. The artist has employed a limited palette dominated by ochre, burnt sienna, red-orange, and deep blues, creating a sense of warmth contrasted with areas of cool shadow. These colors contribute to an overall feeling of intensity and perhaps even oppression.
Here we see three distinct faces, though their individual identities are obscured through the artist’s deliberate distortion and abstraction. The central figure is positioned slightly forward, its features – particularly the large, almond-shaped eyes – commanding immediate attention. A prominent vertical line bisects this face, creating a sense of division or duality. To the left, another face emerges from the background, partially concealed by overlapping planes; it appears to be in profile, with an elongated nose and a simplified mouth. The third face, located on the right side of the canvas, is fragmented into geometric shapes, suggesting a state of disintegration or suffering.
The artist’s brushwork is visible throughout, adding texture and emphasizing the raw, almost primal quality of the work. Theres a deliberate lack of detail; features are reduced to essential forms, conveying emotion through simplified gestures rather than realistic representation. The background appears as a series of flat planes, further isolating the figures and intensifying their sense of confinement.
Subtexts within this painting suggest themes of suffering, oppression, or perhaps collective trauma. The fragmented nature of the faces could symbolize broken identities or the dehumanizing effects of conflict. The intense color scheme contributes to an atmosphere of anxiety and unease. It is possible that the work alludes to experiences of persecution or marginalization, conveyed through the depiction of figures stripped bare of individuality and subjected to a sense of overwhelming pressure. The overlapping planes and obscured features create a feeling of claustrophobia, suggesting a lack of escape from whatever circumstances have led to this state of distress.