Judith Westphalen (née Ortiz Reyes; 1922 – 1976) was a

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

vian painter known for her abstract artwork.

Early life and education

Westphalen was born Judith Ortiz Reyes in

Catacaos Catacaos is a town in the Piura Province, Piura Region, Peru. It is known for its gastronomy and crafts (or souvenirs). The town was severely damaged by flash floods in March 2017 when the Piura River The Piura River is a river in northern Per ...

Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru, located north of the Sechura Desert along the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017 and it is the 7th most populous city in Peru. ...

, in 1922. She earned a doctorate in Literature and Pedagogy at the

National University of San Marcos The National University of San Marcos (, UNMSM) is a public university, public research university located in Lima, the capital of Peru. In the Americas, it is the first officially established (Privilege (legal ethics), privilege by Charles V, ...

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

. She was a self-taught artist.

Career

She began painting in 1944. After participating in a group exhibition in

Viña del Mar Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune on Zona Central, Chile, central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located withi ...

in 1946, she had her first individual show at the former Sala Bach in

the following year. She lived and worked with her husband, the poet Emilio Adolfo Westphalen, in Lima,

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, Los Boliches (Spain),

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Her work was exhibited in Peru, the US, Italy, Chile, Spain, Mexico, and Belgium.

Death and legacy

She died in Rome on December 31, 1976. A major retrospective of her work was held from June to August 2007 in the Municipal Galleries of Miraflores (Lima). In 2022, the Visual Arts Gallery held an exhibition of her work at the Ccori Wasi Cultural Center commemorating the 100th anniversary of her birth.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Westphalen, Judith 1922 births 1976 deaths Peruvian women artists 20th-century Peruvian painters 20th-century women artists Peruvian expatriates in the United States Peruvian expatriates in Spain Peruvian expatriates in Italy