Leppe, Carlos

He studied art at the University of Chile, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Art with a focus on Painting. He was a student of Eugenio Dittborn, Carlos Altamirano, Francisco Smythe, and the theorist Nelly Richard, who included him in the group of artists known as "Escena de Avanzada" (Advanced Scene). He took an interest in avant-garde artists of the 20th century such as Joseph Beuys, Villalba, Arman, Christo, Fontana, and Segal, who inspired his work, and he engaged with objectual art, body art, and spatial intervention. Leppe built a distinguished professional career in the advertising field, working as an art director, image consultant, and creative consultant for various national, Spanish, and Italian companies. He notably served as director and artistic producer for Televisión Nacional de Chile. Carlos Leppe has been recognized with the First Prize at the Student Salon of the School of Art at the University of Chile (1972), the Jacques d'Arthuys Prize for Best Exhibition of the Year, awarded by the French Embassy (1973); a Graphic Arts Grant from the Corporación Amigos del Arte in Santiago (1984), and the Altazor Prize in the Installation and Video Art category (2002).