Oscar Esteban Martinez is a Colombian visual artist, sculptor, curator, and educator based in Miami, Florida. Born in Pasto, Colombia, he studied Fine Arts at the University of Nariño before relocating to Cali, where he further developed his artistic career and established a strong foundation in sculpture, later expanding into painting and drawing.

Influenced by his family’s artistic tradition and the visual richness of the Carnival of Blacks and Whites, Martinez developed an early passion for art and a lasting fascination with the human condition. His work explores identity, memory, migration, belonging, and the relationship between people and their social and natural environments. Working across sculpture, painting, and public art, he creates works that invite reflection, emotional connection, and public interaction.

Since the 1990s, Martinez has participated in exhibitions, public commissions, and cultural initiatives throughout Colombia and internationally. Over the past decade, he has expanded his practice across South, Central, and North America, developing a body of work that ranges from intimate studio practice to large-scale public art.

In 2025, he was awarded a public art commission by the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District in Miami Beach to create La Herencia Viva (The Living Heritage) for the prestigious Art on Lincoln program—an important recognition of his contributions to contemporary public art and community engagement.

After relocating to Miami in 2024, Martinez has continued to strengthen his presence within South Florida’s cultural landscape. In addition to his studio practice, he is co-owner and curator of Gato Gordo Gallery in Miami, where he promotes exhibitions, cultural dialogue, and opportunities for emerging and established artists.

His artistic practice is driven by a deep interest in the human experience and the ways in which art can create meaningful encounters between people, memory, and place.