Valerie Brathwaite, Trinidadian-born Abstract Sculptor, Dies at 87
Valerie Brathwaite, an acclaimed abstract sculptor originally from San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, passed away at the age of 87. Her death was announced on Instagram by the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires on July 6. Earlier this year, the museum organized a retrospective celebrating her significant contribution to art, recognizing her extraordinary sensitivity. After relocating to Caracas in 1969, Brathwaite influenced and collaborated with notable artists such as Gego and Mercedes Pardo. A memorial service took place in Caracas on July 7, and her works were represented in New York by Henrique Faria Fine Art.
Key facts
- Valerie Brathwaite died at age 87.
- MALBA announced her passing on July 6 via Instagram.
- She was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1938.
- She studied at Hornsey College of Art, Royal College of Art, and École des Beaux-Arts under Ossip Zadkine.
- She moved to Caracas in 1969 after encouragement from Gego.
- Her work focused on horizontality and used diverse materials.
- She also worked as a DJ, incorporating scratching and jazz.
- A memorial was held on July 7 in Caracas.
Entities
Artists
- Valerie Brathwaite
- Ossip Zadkine
- Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt)
- Mercedes Pardo
- Marta Traba
- Lourdes Blanco
- Miguel Arroyo
- Juan Calzadilla
- Barbara Hepworth
- Jean Arp
- Louise Bourgeois
- Nohora Arrieta Fernández
- Henrique Faria
- Eugenia Sucre
- Gego
- Jesús Fuenmayor
- Cecilia Fajardo-Hill
- Freddy Castro
- Ken Pérez
- Hubert Dallwood
Institutions
- Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (MALBA)
- Hornsey College of Art
- Royal College of Art
- École des Beaux-Arts
- Museum of Fine Arts in Caracas
- Museo Reina Sofía
- Henrique Faria Fine Art
- Contemporary And América Latina
- Hyperallergic
- Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts
- Museo de Bellas Artes de Caracas
- American University Museum
- Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (Malba)
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Sala Mendoza
- Mercosul Biennial
- Arco Madrid
- Museum of Fine Arts, Caracas
- Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA)
- 14th Mercosur Biennial
Locations
- San Fernando
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Caracas
- Venezuela
- United Kingdom
- London
- Paris
- New York
- Buenos Aires
- Argentina
- Stockholm
- Sweden
- Washington, DC
- Brazil
- Trinidad
- Porto Alegre