Manchas

Manchas is an original abstract work by Antonio Alvarado (born 1938, Le Havre, France), widely recognized as one of the masters and pioneers of abstract and non-figurative painting in Panama.

In this piece, Alvarado's signature style is on full display: a bold vertical streak of vivid orange cuts through a composition of dark grey and black gestural brushstrokes, set against a luminous light blue ground. A white textured passage on the right creates a dynamic tension between movement and stillness — a balance between order and chaos that defines his visual language.

Known as "el hombre de las manchas" (the man of the stains), Alvarado's work moves away from the representation of nature toward an emotional and mental re-interpretation of reality. His visual language draws from the New York School of Abstract Expressionism and Japanese calligraphy, which he studied during a residency in Japan in 1969.

Largely self-taught, Alvarado received foundational guidance in the workshop of Panamanian master Alberto Dutary. He later served as Director of the Department of Fine Arts at the National Institute of Culture (INAC) and has received prestigious awards including First Prize at the PANARTE Open Salon (1964) and international prizes in Bogotá and San Salvador. In December 2025, several of his works were incorporated into the pictorial collection of the National Library of Panama.

• Artist: Antonio Alvarado (b. 1938)
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: Approx. 50 × 60 cm
• Style: Abstract Expressionism / Informalism
• Origin: Panama

This is a significant work within the history of modern Panamanian art, representing Alvarado's unwavering commitment to abstraction at a time when figurative painting was the dominant norm.

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This is a one-of-a-kind original work. Once sold, it is gone. Own a piece of Panama's modern art history.