Centro Cultural Hispano Americano

Critique and Interview by María Nélida Mendoza,
M.A. Literature, Arts and Culture

Published in Persona Magazine, September 20, 2003.

Jaime Olaya is a faithful lover of art and paints from his heart. When speaking with him, one immediately notices his art is a reflection of himself. It is a portrait of a sincere, humble and uncomplicated man, who is generous, of few words and with a very clear and concise philosophy of life. Olaya is a man who is not materialistically ambitious; a man who firmly believes God has given us nature to exalt, enjoy, and protect, so our descendants may taste the beauty of the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms.

Nature is the inspiration that captivated his soul. "My father had several farms and was a cattle breeder," he says. "I discovered a passion for nature as child and would go to the fields and admire the landscape, the beautiful colors, the animals, the plow, the farmers and the women. It was very special to be there and I felt an inner strength I will never forget. All these beautiful memories made me become a painter of my native land."

His spirituality is reflected in the placidity of the landscape, exalted by his protagonists. Prophetically, he believes a day shall come when man and nature shall conjugate under the same roof, and he euphorically says that "the lion shall eat straw with the lamb and the children shall play with the snakes."

His art is an expression of the goodness that God is with us, and he paints trying to make man aware that it is not good to destroy the Garden of Eden, that it is important to live in harmony in a simple and natural environment, without stealing the space that belongs to the animals, plants and minerals. His art shows us a simple life, but one full of magic and vivid colors. It is a desired world of inspiration that brings us nostalgia; a world that is not fictitious, that we all dream about. It is a fantasy that seems unreachable in our cybernetic world full of so many worries. The world he depicts, where nature is respected, is one we all should strive to achieve. It is like a dream still possible to attain. It is a perfect ecologic world, where the contamination of air, land, rivers, lakes and ocean does not exist. Moreover, in this world there is no conflict between human beings, but rather one where we can appreciate the respect, happiness and love we all desire and need to enjoy.

In Olaya's monumental works of art exists a tropical harmony, where the protagonists live in peace with nature. In general, his protagonists are working women who are strong, vivacious and enjoy living, who feel pleasure by being surrounded by a gentle nature. These are women who milk the cows, plant flowers, harvest the earth's fruits, grow hens, and sell the fruits of the field in the town plaza. They raise their children by nursing them with the warmth of their home, but despite their simple nature, they get transported by an exoticism and enjoy the simplest pleasures of sleep and love.

These women are not sculptural physically; instead, they seem to be goddesses of the countryside with their robust shapes, who nourish themselves with the land, sun, air and rain. They share with the animals and flourish in their surroundings, projecting the hope of that lost Garden of Eden. They symbolize the purity of life.

Olaya uses a gamma of colors, typical of Latin American scenery that can only be appreciated by returning to his native land, where he molds the women as the center of all beauty. The sensibility of this artist is depicted in the idealized daily themes of life: love, physical and spiritual health, happiness and peace. His passion for the peasant life, the countryside and the very simple people is a portrait of man living in a utopian world. His style is simple and provocative to the senses, and invites us to move further from the material world and return to nature, to a simpler life, bursting with pleasure and relaxation, a world we need to rescue.

Olaya was born in Ebejico, Antioquia, Colombia and studied fine arts at the Instituto de Bellas Artes, in Medellín. He served as professor of arts at Colegio Calazans in Medellín and at the Arts School of Eladio Vélez de Itagüi in Antioquia. He has participated in several important expositions in Colombia, including the Museo de Antioquia, where the largest collection of Maestro Botero is in exhibition, and at the Biblioteca Pública Piloto.

He has lived in Seattle since 1990 and has taught art classes and exhibited his works at several art galleries, including the Seattle Art Museum, during the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month last September 2002. He has also exhibited at the Gallery Isis on First Avenue and at the University of Washington. One of his works was chosen for the collection of Harborview Hospital in 1998. He was also the painter chosen for the Hispanic Seafair of Seattle in 2001. His works are currently being promoted nationally with Art Visions Gallery.

"There are three artists I admire, who have influenced my career as a painter: Diego Rivera, for the monumentality of his works, the colors, the quality, the composition and the subject matter; Fernando Botero, for the originality of the forms, the light, the colors and the composition; and Pedro Nel Gomez for the subject matter and the colors," Olaya says. "I have an anecdote I like to share. I was about eight years old and would often be bored in math class. One day, I began painting my teacher surrounded by nature, and she caught me. As punishment, she asked me to help draw the school's social science nature drawings during school breaks, and I thought, 'If this is punishment, I want you to continue punishing me!' but she did not know I was delighted."