Fine Art Mixed Media BA – 2007
The University of Westminster was my very first experience of an incredibly supportive educational system that nurtured my desire to develop into the complexities of being an artist in today's world.
This was due to the honest relationships I had with the tutoring cohort, my peers and, to my surprise, its positive distance away from the disruptive energy of the city of London.
Murillo was born, and spent the first ten years of his life, in La Paila, a small town in the Valle del Cauca Department of Colombia. His parents moved to London when he was 10 years old and knew no English. In 2007, Murillo earned his BA (Hons) in Fine Art at University of Westminster.
Since 2013, through his ongoing collaborative project Frequencies, Murillo has worked with schools across the globe, placing pieces of raw canvas on schools students’ desks and inviting them to draw and write on, mark and illustrate them. To date, thousands of students, primarily aged 10 to 16, have participated. The canvases are added to a growing archive, selections of which have been exhibited at the 56th Venice Biennale, Italy the 2nd Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art 2016, China and 3rd Aichi Triennial, Japan.
Oscar Murillo’s diverse works have been attracting a lot of attention in the contemporary art world. From producing highly sought-after paintings, to creating lively Colombian-inspired events, the London-based artist certainly knows how to put on a show. At the core of Murillo’s practice there also lies a more serious desire to bring together people from different backgrounds, breaking down social and cultural barriers.