Desnudo Marino

Owned by Nelly Coello and is part of the Coello Collection.

The artist is Bolivar Penafiel Moran. He was born June 4, 1934. In 1964 he earned the Academy of fine arts award and later graduated from the Municipal School of Fine Arts in Guayaquil in 1965 with a Master’s of Neo-figurism. He studied under masters like Caesar Andrade Faini and Alfredo Palacio. He was part of a generation of painters who developed the “Guayaquilean painting" style that still inspires young artists today.

Bolivar Peñafiel-Moran’s paintings reflected the social aspects of his environment. Vendors “betuneros”, the homeless, the poor and social outcasts were part of the themes he painted. His work can be found throughout Ecuadorian museums, government buildings and personal collections.

His exhibitions are shown in Guayaquil, Quito, Cuenca and other cities in the country. Bolivar sold his paintings as a way to make money to make more paintings. He was a poor modest man who would give you the shirt off his back without even blinking an eye. He was invited several times to show his work in America but refused to step foot in such a decadent country. Bolivar died in Guayaquil Ecuador on April 2, 2004 at the age of 70 years. He was my uncle and was my inspiration to go into the design field.

He has a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BolivarPenafielMoran. You have to be on his friends list in order to see his work. Send me an email ms_marisol.marquez@yahoo.com and I’ll get you in.