Opening Reception for Osvaldo Torres Catastro de Colores y Esperanzas Registry of Colors

Opening Reception June 6th 7-11pm
Gallery Hours: Sundays 12-6 or by appointment
510 452 7363

Osvaldo Torres. Painter, author, singer and composer born in Antofagasta, Chile in 1953.

Osvaldo is one of the most multi-talented and prolific artists to emerge from Chile during the early 70s. One of his most celebrated works, created in the heat of the repressive military dictatorship, was La Vigilia a musical suite demanding the whereabouts and the return of missing political prisoners. The work was commissioned by the Association of Relatives of the Disappeared in 1977. Due to his work against the military apagón cultural "cultural blackout" he was imprisoned, harassed and blacklisted from commercial venues.

As an graphic artist and painter Osvaldo defines himself as self-taught. He has resided in France since 1983 where he composed the music scores for renowned actor Bernard Giraudeau's film documentaries. In 1999 Osvaldo began to exhibit his works in various galleries in France, Belgium and Chile. In 2002, Osvaldo presented his first exhibition in Chile in the City of Iquique. The title of this widely praised exhibit is My Nostalgia's Suns and Moons, and it is a color recognition to the mythical world of his ancestors; the Aymaras.

"When I travel among the colors of my Chilean friend, I let the wind's song carry me away: I enter a universe where indigenous mythology takes me back to another time, a time, perhaps, when humans loved and respected each other. When my friend's colors invade me, I let an instant of freedom take me away. My friend's colors and forms take me to the world I yearn for; the dream world, of the feasible utopia. My Chilean friend and I travel within his universe of colors." Bernard Giraudeau, Actor
Osvaldo Blog:
http://osvaldo-torres-pintor.over-blog.com

Pueblo Nuevo Gallery
Pueblo Nuevo Gallery is an alternative artspace in Berkeley founded in early 2008 by Bay Area natives with an emphasis on promoting artists working in the Bay Area. As working artists ourselves, we realize that networking and wider recognition are vital to a successful artist career, as well as having use of either free or affordable equipment and space to complete ones projects. Central to Pueblo Nuevo’s philosophy is the concept of accessibility for artists to create, showcase and sell their work, as well as maintaining a nexus for an artist community based on developing relationships, education, and dissemination of artwork as well as exchange of new ideas. http://www.pueblonuevogallery.com

La Peña Cultural Center
Founded in 1975, La Peña Cultural Center is a vibrant local community cultural center with a national reputation and a global vision that promotes peace, social justice and cultural understanding through the arts, education, and social action. La Peña presents about 250 music, dance, theater, spoken word, film, visual art and multi-disciplinary events each year. The Center presents emerging as well as nationally and internationally renowned artists, commissions new work, and organizes special artist residencies. La Peña also offers free and low cost classes available to youth and adults. http://www.lapena.org