Porfirio Busto is more than an artist. The 77-year-old Paraguayan painter is a storyteller, a cultural guardian, and a committed teacher. For over five decades, Busto has combined artistic practice with pedagogy, building bridges between personal expression and collective memory. His vibrant canvases and pioneering educational efforts have made him a central figure in Paraguay’s visual arts landscape.
Known for his disciplined approach, Busto paints daily, through creative blocks and without waiting for fleeting inspiration. His practice is both vocation and routine, driven by history, honesty, and the courage to express deep emotion. As he often says: “Inspiration is not something to be awaited, but discovered through work. By simply sitting down and painting.”
A teacher at heart
Porfirio Busto has been a major force in the democratisation of art education in Paraguay. In 1969, he founded the first Paraguayan institute of drawing and painting, which later became the Centro Cultural Porfirio Busto. Busto received formal artistic education at the Bellas Artes School in Asunción, which deepened his foundation and affirmed his dedication to teaching others.
From 1970 to 1985, he brought art into homes across the country through the television programme Dibujando con Porfirio (“Drawing with Porfirio”) and also launched a print-based distance learning course, a magazine designed for aspiring artists with no prior training. At the time, it was the only publication of its kind in Paraguay.
“I explore all the techniques,” Busto says. “Going from oil, to acrylic paint, and from watercolor to pastels, colored pencils, to colored pens. I explore that whole circuit”.
Today, celebrating 56 years of artistic and educational work, Busto has sold more than 50,000 DVDs containing art lessons, many of which were distributed through his magazines and instructional materials. His impact as a teacher is undeniable, and measurable in thousands of brushstrokes across Paraguay.
El Café de Porfirio: Where art and life meet
Visitors to El Café de Porfirio, located in Asunción’s Recoleta neighbourhood, step into more than just a coffee shop. They enter the artist’s world. Owned and curated by Porfirio Busto alongside his son, who serves as Creative Director, the café functions as both a welcoming gathering space and a living gallery.
Its walls display Busto’s vibrant paintings of Paraguayan life, which are all available for purchase. This dual purpose aligns with his long-standing goal of bringing art closer to the people.
The café reflects his philosophy of making art accessible, rooted in the everyday yet imbued with deep historical and emotional resonance. Patrons often pause to admire scenes of tajy trees in full bloom, rustic countryside homes and still lifes, all while enjoying a cup of coffee.
Every purchased Porfirio Busto painting, drawing, sketch, or commissioned piece is unique and carries with it the weight of decades of dedication to his craft and his lifelong study of Paraguayan culture.
Rescuing memory through art
Porfirio Busto’s artistic focus revolves around historical and cultural themes, particularly Indigenous identity and collective memory. Drawing and painting are central to his practice, and his works often emerge from historical fragments, reinterpreted with imagination and empathy.
One of his most striking paintings depicts seven men crammed into a battered car driving along a dusty dirt road, with a cloud of dust rising behind them.
“I painted this from an old, faded stamp I found from the Chaco War,” Busto explains. “It shows the water bearers, risking their lives to bring water to soldiers on the front lines. I imagined what they looked like, what they felt, and put that on canvas.”
Another, more recent work portrays an Indigenous man dressed in traditional Guaraní garments, wearing a feathered headpiece made of long white feathers, and holding an Ayoreo-style bag with a rustic pumpkin maraca in one hand.
“I made it after this fellow I saw once in a traditional dance. They had been drinking chicha (corn liquor) before dancing, and I tried to capture the dazed look, deep in trance.”
Even though some scenes and subjects recur in his work, no two pieces are identical. Among the most beloved are his paintings of tajy trees, bursting with color, and his tranquil countryside homes, often flanked by rivers, grazing cows, or children playing football.
A dedication to perfection
His dedication to perfecting his craft is evident in the way he approaches each subject.
“When I want to paint something, like a tree, being it a tajy or a weeping willow, I paint it over and over again until I’m satisfied with the image,” he explains. This relentless practice and refinement imbue his work with both emotional depth and technical mastery.
His practice is as much about discipline as it is about passion, the same discipline he instills in his students and conveys to those who encounter his work in places like El Café de Porfirio.
VIP Card benefits
As a VIP Member of The Asunción Times, you are entitled to a 10% discount on your purchase by presenting your VIP Member card, one of many exclusive VIP Member Benefits. Many of Porfirio Busto’s works are displayed, with price tags, at El Café de Porfirio, where visitors may enjoy the art in person.
Most of his works may also be viewed on Porfirio Busto’s Instagram page. Interested buyers may contact him and his team via Porfirio Busto’s WhatsApp.
El Café Porfirio opening hours
Monday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM
Sunday: Closed.
