Armando Morales

Armando Morales was born in Granada, Nicaragua on January 15, 1927, the youngest of six children of a family deeply rooted in religion. Two years later, the family moved to Managua, the Capital, where there were greater opportunities for his father to expand his hardware business. Since Early childhood Armando showed a great interest in art. Morales’ skill for drawing did not go unnoticed by his teachers. One of them in particular, who taught arithmetic, grammar and painting, frequently praised his paintings while turning a blind eye to his laziness in other subjects. By this time, painting ceased to be only a school activity: He also painted at home on his return from school. Around 1938, he painted realistically some imaginary landscapes with Morales regards as the true beginning of his artistic career. The School of Fine Arts of Managua had a rigorous academic curriculum. The first year was dedicated to drawing with charcoal, and later with crayon, inanimate models of wood and plaster, as well as all kinds of cloth. Perspective, history of art and anatomy was taught during the second year and, while still working with crayon and charcoal, live models were introduced. It was not until the third year that Morales would fulfill his childhood dreams of painting in oils. In 1956, he participated in the Central American Painting Contest “15 de Septiembre” held in Guatemala and won first prize with his painting Spook-Tree. This painting was later bought buy the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1957, the exhibition “Six Nicaraguan Artists” was inaugurated in Washington. Morales Received excellent reviews and sold all the paintings with which he had participated. In 1970 he painted lush and sensual fruits, heavy and voluptuous apple and pears that evoked the softness of human skin, from which there was the obvious transition to the painting of nudes.