Ana Mercedes Hoyos was born in Bogotá in 1942 and studied painting and sculpture at both the Univerisity of Los Andes and the National University of Colombia. In these two institutions, she met artists such as Juan Antonio Roda, Luciano Jaramillo, and Armando Villegas and art critics such as Marta Traba. At the end of the ’60s, Hoyos began her solo career with her first solo exhibitions. For example, in 1966 she won first place at the XXVIII National Salon of Artists, an art contest organized annually by the National Government, and one of the most artistic even at a national level.

In her artworks, the Colombian painter has reflected on the African heritage in the Colombian culture. This artistic research can be seen in the series dedicated to Cartagena’s beach, Bazurto’s market, and the palenqueras, the street fruit vendors of Cartagena. All these topics are depicted thanks to a close-up that makes the oil similar to photography. By closing up, Hoyos highlights the contraposition between nature and history and how had affected the cultural interpretation of animals, people, and nature itself. This same visual practice can be seen in other still life and landscapes. Thanks to these features, the painter shows the unique traits that identify the existence of the natural and cultural of the Colombian Caribbean region.