Débora Arango

Débora Arango Pérez (Known as "The Rebel Painter")

Rebel Expressionist Painter, Feminist Pioneer, Chronicler of La Violencia, 2,000-Peso Note Icon

Born 1907-11-11

Medellín, Colombia

Passed Away 2005-12-04 Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia

Lifespan 98 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Art has nothing to do with polite morality; its duty is to expose truth, even when truth is hideous."

Archival Overview

Fearless expressionist painter whose raw, satirical canvases exposed military dictatorship, corrupt politicians, and female oppression, defying clerical censorship to become an icon on the 2,000-peso banknote.

Biographical Record

Débora Arango Pérez was born on November 11, 1907, in Medellín. Studying under Pedro Nel Gómez, Arango caused national scandal in 1939 by becoming the first Colombian woman to exhibit paintings of female nudes, condemned by the conservative Archbishop of Medellín.

Undeterred by death threats and gallery closures by dictator Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, Arango painted searing satirical works depicting corrupt generals, prostitutes, strikes, and the atrocities of La Violencia (portraying military leaders as hyenas and vultures). Living in seclusion at her home 'Casablanca' in Envigado, she donated over 200 paintings to the Medellín Museum of Modern Art (MAMM) and was decorated with the Order of Boyacá.

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Envigado Municipal Cemetery
Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia

                         GPS: 6.1700, -75.5850                    

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