Guatemalan Artist Edgar Calel Wins the Sam Gilliam 2026 Contemporary Art Prize
Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel has received the Sam Gilliam 2026 award, an international contemporary art recognition honoring his contributions to art, memory, community, and Indigenous identity.
Sam Gilliam 2026 has recognized Guatemalan artist Edgar Calel, whose contemporary art practice has gained international visibility through exhibitions, biennials, poetry, sculpture, performance, and installations deeply connected to Maya Kaqchikel identity and collective memory.
Born in Comalapa, Chimaltenango, Calel was awarded the international contemporary art prize presented by the Dia Art Foundation and the Sam Gilliam Foundation, which includes a US$ 75,000 recognition.
Edgar Calel’s Artistic Journey Began at Home
Calel’s artistic language is rooted in family, spirituality, territory, and ancestral practices. His work moves across drawing, sculpture, ritual practices, installations, and performance, often exploring themes tied to collective memory and community life.
In a profile shared by Guatemala’s Ministry of Culture and Sports, Calel reflected on the origins of his relationship with art:
“I began as a great consumer of art when my mother breastfed me because I would see the colors of her huipil close to her chest. That was a great gift from life.”
The artist comes from a Maya Kaqchikel family of artisans and artists from Chixot — the ancestral name of Comalapa — a town also recognized as the birthplace of singer Sara Curruchich and painter Paula Nicho Cumez.
Calel has often described the artistic environment of his hometown as something inseparable from everyday life.
“I think there is something in the genetics of the people who live there that makes it impossible not to create art,” he explained.
According to the artist, artistic expression in the community naturally emerges from ancestral practices, including music, dance, poetry, theater, visual arts, and film.
The Meaning Behind the Sam Gilliam Prize
The Sam Gilliam Prize was established after the death of the American artist Sam Gilliam through a collaboration between the Dia Art Foundation and the Sam Gilliam Foundation, led by Annie Gawlak, Gilliam’s widow.
The recognition is awarded annually to an artist from anywhere in the world whose work has made a significant contribution to contemporary art and whose career continues evolving creatively.
Calel is the third artist to receive the distinction. Previous recipients include Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama in 2024 and Indian artist Sheela Gowda in 2025.
For Calel, the award represents more than recognition for his artistic trajectory. It also symbolizes an opportunity to continue researching, creating, and sharing knowledge through art.
One of Sam Gilliam’s well-known reflections on art stated:
“If you find something that confronts you in art, you can create from it.”
From Local Recognition to International Biennials
Calel began painting alongside his father and brother before formally studying at the National School of Plastic Arts “Rafael Rodríguez Padilla” in Guatemala.
Reflecting on that stage of his life, the artist said:
“I really wanted to learn techniques and for my work to be more valued. That’s when I told myself: ‘I want to become a very good artist in this country.’”
His artistic roots became more visible in 2005, and in 2006 he began participating in the Paiz Art Biennial in Guatemala. Years later, in 2015, he received first place recognition at Juannio.
Over time, his work reached major international art events across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, including:
- Helsinki Biennial, Finland (2025)
- São Paulo Biennial, Brazil (2023)
- Liverpool Biennial, United Kingdom (2023)
- Gwangju Biennale, South Korea (2023)
- Berlin Biennale, Germany (2020)
- Carnegie International in Pittsburgh, United States (2022)
His life and artistic vision were also portrayed in the short film “Calel, Not Everything Is for Sale” directed by Jayro Bustamante.
Art, Community, and Indigenous Identity at the Center of His Work
Calel’s works often emerge from simple rituals, family conversations, and everyday spiritual experiences. Through these elements, he explores territory, Indigenous knowledge, collective memory, and the relationship between communities and their environment.
The artist has repeatedly emphasized the importance of honoring the wisdom inherited from previous generations.
“I feel very proud to come from Indigenous roots and to continue the knowledge and wisdom our grandparents passed down to us,” Calel shared.
Years ago, during an interview after receiving recognition at Juannio, he summarized his relationship with artistic creation in a phrase that continues to define his career:
“Making art is both a luxury and a necessity.”
