Handel Guayasamín
(Guayaquil, Ecuador, 1951) Architect and professor. Executive director of the Network of Latin American Architecture Biennials (REDBAAL) and the Oscar Niemeyer Award for Latin American Architecture (2012-2016 and 2018 to date). Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Arts (FADA) of the Universidad Católica del Ecuador (1994-2019), where he was director of the Architecture program (2011-2014). Guayasamin is recognized for his conceptualization of the architecture of the native peoples of Latin America in his contemporary works, which integrate local references in tune with the territory. He proposes an architecture for both humans and the gods, inviting thought and exploration of non-rational languages. His work encourages a reconnection with the land, to be critical of architecture, and to transform it with a sense of Latin American belonging. Guayasamin has received awards such as the National Prize for Urban Design and the National Prize for Architecture (Panamerican Architecture Biennial of Quito, 1990 and 2002, respectively). In 2020, he received the "Rafael Norma en la Actividad Gremial" Award granted by the Pan American Federation of Architects Associations (FPAA).
