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Digital Collections Blog Logo

Permanent Art Collection Spotlight: Edwin Villasmil

05/03/22

By: C. B.

Growing up in a household with an artist father and music teacher mother, Permanent Art Collection artist Edwin Villasmil was constantly surrounded by art made manifest.

Wooden home surrounded by foliage


Young Edwin Villasmil (1971)
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From his childhood, Villasmil describes hearing the noises of trains passing by that stirred his imagination awake and allowed him to travel to the unimaginable worlds that blended the organic with the machine.

Abstract drawing of what appears to be a many armed, many legged machine


“Untitled” from Imaginary Beings Series  
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Deemed by art critics as part of the Nueva Figuracion (New Figuration) , Villasmil’s artistic endeavors can be viewed as expressionistic, abstract pieces created to convey a social commentary about the goings-on of the world around him. In this sense, Villasmil uses his art as a form of activism to help support the pressing issues he sees need addressing.

Drawing of two cities bound together with barbed wire


“Freedom” from SOS Venezuela Series
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Drawing on people with their mouths being shut by various means


“Freedom of Expression” from SOS Venezuela Series
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Villasmil departed from Venezuela to Miami in 2004 and began to work in partnership with the Miami-Dade Public Library System in 2006 on a project about the Everglades and led Eco-Art Workshops at the Westchester Regional Library. This was done in collaboration with fellow artist Elba Martinez, who is a frequent collaborator on many of his artistic endeavors, and his wife.

Drawing of various evergldes elements


“The Everglades” from The Everglades Series   
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Two-paged panel featuring drawings of various evergldes elements


“Hold the Line” from The Everglades Series
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Most recently, Villasmil created a digital series called Libraries Open The World to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Library System.

For more of Edwin Villasmil and Elba Martinez’s art please have a look at our newest collection with new material including video animations and full artistic journals being added every day.

Image of a man with thought bubble above his head


Cuaderno 6 : Inside Cover
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