Gilmour, Ethel

Ethel Gillmour (1940–2008) arrived in Colombia in 1970, after completing her studies abroad with degrees in Fine Arts and Teaching. In Medellín, she became part of the local art scene, taught art at the Faculty of Architecture, and contributed to establishing the Arts program, now the School of Arts at the National University of Colombia.

Initially influenced by Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art, she developed a figurative pictorial language focused on Colombia and Medellín, absorbing images and visions from her immediate context and seeking ways to incorporate everyday life into art.

Communicating a powerful sense of female experience, Gillmour's works address concepts such as gender, minorities, migration, violence, fraternity, and the care of oneself, others, the earth, and living beings.