Carmen Aldunate, prominent Chilean painter, dies at 86

Renowned Chilean painter and illustrator Carmen Aldunate has passed away at the age of 86. Her death was confirmed by the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA), which holds several of her works in its permanent collection.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, Aldunate developed a distinctive artistic language focused on the human figure, particularly women. Her subjects, whom she affectionately called “monas,” were often depicted with symbolic psychological depth, wearing elaborate clothing and turbans in a style inspired by pre-Renaissance art. She viewed her portrayal of women as a feminist message addressing historical oppression through sarcasm and humor.

Aldunate studied at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the University of Chile, later specializing at the University of California, Davis. Her career included at least 38 solo exhibitions across Latin America and the United States, as well as prestigious honors such as the First Prize for Drawing at the Salón Oficial de Chile in 1974 and membership in the Academia Chilena de Bellas Artes in 2004.