Efraín Andrade Viteri was born on May 15, 1920 in Loja, Ecuador to Jaime Andrade Arteaga and Josefa Viteri Aymar. When he was seventeen years old, he began studying painting and architecture at the School of Fine Arts, in Quito. During this time he developed a good friendship with César Bravomalo, Eduardo Kingman and Oswaldo Guayasamín.
In 1941, Andrade moved to Manabí, Ecuador with the sole purpose to paint, and by the end of the year he had completed a collection of oil paintings and some portraits where he used his already mastered “pen and ink” technique. He presented his first exhibition at the House of Culture in Portoviejo.
From 1942 to 1945 Andrade utilized his architectural expertise at the project “Plan Regulador” led by friend Dr. Humberto Albornoz head of the Municipality of Quito. This project developed the first formal city planning of Quito, the capital of Ecuador.
Andrade moved to Bogotá, Colombia where he worked as a commercial craftsman, and in 1947 he presented an exhibition of “Pen and Ink” drawings at the “Bogota Fine Art and Cultural Center”
In Cuzco, Peru he reaffirmed his admiration for the ancient ruins and the history behind them, by creating still-models of the ruins of Machu Picchu. While taking photos of the ruins, Andrade played with light and contrast to create photographs worthy to be in a gallery.
In 1950 Andrade married Flor de Maria Vásquez, and moved to the province of Esmeraldas which he adopted as his home. They had four children: Jorge Ernesto, Flor de Maria, Josefa Patricia and Gloria Teresa. There, he developed his own style with the “Marimba” theme he used in most of his paintings and that represent the people and the culture of Esmeraldas.
Andrade was a member of the cultural magazine “Hélice”, and editor for the radio program “People and Music” in Esmeraldas during the 1950’s.
Andrade’s appreciation for nature is evident through his work, but the paintings of the people of Esmeraldas and its culture show it best. They showcase the beauty of the marimba dancers and the abundance of nature found in the green and remote province.
His concerns with social issues were frequently expressed in his art. Andrade was the first Ecuadorian painter who represented the true life and culture of the African descent people of Esmeraldas. Andrade exalted the value of nature as companion to human existence, and his eyes saw beyond the human figure, he saw the joy and pain that gave them life.
Andrade felt privileged to capture on canvas the life and feelings of the people from Esmeraldas.