Unknown Yet Beloved: Mexican Artist Paints Campus Based on Photos of His Studying Son

From Mexico City, artist Oscar Oramas Vicario painted Tilburg University dozens of times, based on photos his son Sebastian, a student in International Business Taxation, sent him. A place he had never seen thus became familiar. Univers shares his story and some of his artworks.

Even before he ever set foot on the campus of Tilburg University, artist Oscar Oramas Vicario had already painted the pond, little bridges, and trees dozens of times. Based on photos from his son Sebastian (24), a student in International Business Taxation in Tilburg, a series of paintings emerged in Mexico City of a place he only knew from a distance.

That distance turned out not to be a limitation, but rather a tool. ‘Distance works as a filter,’ says Oramas. ‘Like an Instagram filter, but emotional. It makes a place more abstract. You don’t just paint what you see, but especially what you feel.’

Capturing Emotion on Canvas

The artist has been painting his whole life, mostly landscapes and gardens. ‘I’m not a narrative painter,’ he explains. ‘I try to capture one feeling. My technique is traditional, almost impressionistic.’

Nature has long been his most important source of inspiration. He shares this interest with his family. Conversations about nature, art, and garden design are common at home.

What Oramas immediately noticed in his son Sebastian’s photos was the way buildings and nature blend into each other. ‘The campus is located in the forest. It feels like everything there has always been there,’ he says.

The pond and the open spaces with tables made a particular impression. ‘You see nature in all its glory. That’s a wonderful environment to study in.’

Recognizing a Place You’ve Never Seen

When Sebastian graduated after several years, the family traveled to the Netherlands. For Oramas, it was a special experience to visit a place he had painted so many times.

‘We recognized everything,’ he says. ‘That tree, the pond, the little bridge. It felt like we were visiting a friend. Very special.’

Reality didn’t clash with his imagination, on the contrary. ‘The visual reality enriches your experience,’ he tells us. Sebastian recognizes that. ‘It became a shared experience,’ he says. ‘The paintings bring you closer together.’

Art as Glue

What perhaps touched Oramas the most was the atmosphere during the graduation ceremony. ‘The speeches were very human, close to the soul. It was about friendship, solidarity, and respect for nature. About learning to live, not just studying.’

According to him, art plays a role in this. ‘Art is a kind of glue for a university and for society. It connects experiences, feelings, and values.’ As students or staff view the paintings, Oramas hopes they look at their environment differently for a moment.

‘That they see how special this place is,’ he says. ‘And how valuable the experiences they build here are, like studying and meeting new people.’

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