Hernando Osorio

Hernando Osorio (born 1953 in Ibagué, Colombia) is a painter and print-maker. Educated at the National University of Colombia, he was a member of the Awuyaka street art group. During his New York City period (1981-1985) he focused on etching and lithography. Since 1985 he has been living and working in Vienna, Austria. His preferred techniques are mixed-technique painting on canvas, woodcuts, and linocuts but he has also made paper, produced hand-bound books, and recently created a series of ceramic plate images. His work reflects his concern for wildlife, the role of the human being in nature, and traditions of folk art across the world.

Hernando had a harsh childhood working on a farm since he was 6 years old his contact with nature at this age was what mainly inspired his first pieces the most popular being la Vaca Ciega. At 13 years old he discovers art when he went to the hospital with his mother and in the doctor's office a series of paintings called his attention, Hernando claims that since that day he started drawing in napkins and under tables. Even though Hernando had the talent his parents refused to pay for an art school since they barely had money, Hernando's only way out of his town was by joining the mafia. After 6 years of working in organized crime, he got discovered but by the time Hernando had already sold 2 million dollars the worth of paintings and was able to buy his freedom donated 18 artwork pieces to the national museum in Bogota

He is a member of Galerie Sur [1] and Q202.

His work is represented in the following collections:[2]

• Victoria and Albert Museum, London
• Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
• The Library of Congress Print Collection, Washington D.C.
• Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna, Austria
• The New York Public Library, New York, N.Y.
• Museo de Arte, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
• Museo Rayo, Roldanillo, Colombia
• Círculo de Periodistas de Bogotá
• The Printmaking Workshop, New York, N.Y.
• Palais de la Culture, Asilah, Morocco
• Collection of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Culture, Vienna, Austria
• Collection of the cultural department of the City of Vienna, Austria
• Collection of Silver Bow Art, Butte, MT [3]

and private collections in Argentina, Austria, Colombia, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, the UK, the United States, Venezuela.