Campi a de Cumbaya, 1987, Acuarela sobre papel. (Photo provided to China Daily)
Ecuadorean contemporary artist Miguel Betancourt, 59, is known for blending the cultural motif and vibrant landscape of his home country with the inspirations he has found when traveling in Europe.
His current solo exhibition, titled Lines and Translucence, shows 33 watercolors and acrylic paintings at Beijing's Capital Library of China, through Monday.
The exhibition is organized by China Arts and Entertainment Group as an important initiative to boost further cultural exchanges between the two far-apart countries.
The exhibition categorizes Betancourt's works into five themes. Several paintings show his focus on trees which he grew up with in the an outskirt village of Quito the capital. He sees trees as his home forever, and so he revisits the motif throughout the career.
Ecuador's landscapes are also often portrayed with vivid imagination in Betancourt's works.
His depictions of buildings and figures in one way trace the country's colonial past with Spain. Also, they are manifestations of his feelings when traveling and visiting museums.
His Ensemble series includes two paintings that sport a dynamic visual effect which will vary at different times of the day.
Betancourt says he began painting in childhood as a way to find comfort and to free him from the agony of poverty. His talent and hard work won him several projects of studying fine arts in Europe. He represented Ecuador at the Venice Biennale in 1993.
