Formal education:

1950 - Joined, The Student’s Art League and studied under Reginald Marsh and Robert Brackman, among others.  

1960 - Returns to Puerto Rico, where he continues to study with Miguel Pou a well- known Puerto Rican painter.   
1960 - Joined Divedco Workshop (División Educación de La Comunidad) where he worked as an illustrator. On his spare time he continues to paint.  
1964 - Returns to Ponce, his native city and devotes full time to painting and teaching art until his death in 2001.

Awards:

1963- First Price, Watercolor, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1958-Cross Star Award, Rockefeller Center, New York, USA

    First Price, Watercolor, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1957-First Price, Painting, , Christmas Festival, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, PR.

    John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York, USA.

1956-Second Price, Painting, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    Honorific Recognitition, Watercolor, Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 Museums and Institutional Collections:

·      Ateneo Puertorriqueño, San Juan, Puerto Rico

·      Banco de Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño,  Ponce, Puerto Rico

·      Banco Popular de Puerto Rico,  San Juan, Puerto Rico

·      Instituto de Cultura de Madrid,  Madrid, España

·      Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico

·      Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico    

·      Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico

·      Museo de Historia, Antropología y Arte, Universidad de Puerto Rico,        Río Piedras, PR.

·      Museo de San Juan,  San Juan, Puerto Rico

·      Riverside Museum, Nueva York, Estados Unidos

  Style:

His art is influenced by the Expressionist movement, an inspiration he acquired while living and traveling in Europe. His work is characterized by the sobriety of his palette and monochromatic technique, as well as by the loose and expressive brushwork.

Scenes from the folklore and landscapes are very common on his work. “Bomba y Plena” dance scenes, the Caribbean sea, fishermen, sailboats, landscapes , steel lifes and “Don Quijote y Sancho” are among his many themes. His art is consider “costumbrista” or “criollista” wich illustrate images of the tradicional and cultural identity of Puerto Rico.

 

In addition to his paintings, Irizarry produced many of his art works in watercolor. In the Art Market he is considered a master of this media.

 

Nowadays finding available art by Epifanio Irizarry is difficult, most collectors tend to retain his work. It is unusual for his art to  surface for sale. Investing in such artist is always a good investment. As time passes, art work by him will become even more scarce thanks to the popular demand of his work. 

 

René Castillo Ramos Copyright © 2015