Amsterdam Street Art Museum seeking Diablo Rojo

Curators at the Urban Contemporary Art Museum in Amsterdam are seeking to add a bit of Panamanian culture to their collection. The museum aims to become the permanent home of one of Panama’s Diablo Rojos (Red Devils), one of the countries colorful and iconic buses.

The recycled U.S. school buses, introduced to Panama by General Omar Torrijos as an effort to break up the existing transport monopolies, have are currently being phased out of the transportation industry in Panama. However, as they begin to disappear as a transit option, they begin to pop up in art galleries, as part of displays in shop windows and now might be heading overseas to become part of international art collections.

Artistslike Andres Salazar and Oscar Melgar, Jesus Javier Jaime, Monchi Hormi, Rolando Gonzalez, Justin Fernandez Victor Reyes, Cesar Cordoba and Danillo Villarrue
are well known in the world of diablo rojo painting and the colorful styles can be easily identified. Their work also boasts proudly displayed signatures.

Popular themes include religion, Hollywood, local culture and even politicians. The art is often made even more elaborate by flashing lights and dangling baubles.

The Amsterdam museum is seeking an original Salazar, considered to be the master in the art. Salazar, an art college grad, worked painting diablos for over 40 years until passing away just over a year ago.