LongeviQuest is saddened to report the passing of Ides Kihlen, who held the title of the world’s oldest active painter. Mrs. Kihlen passed away today, 14 April 2026, at the age of 108.
She was born in Santa Fe, Argentina, on 10 July 1917 to Swedish immigrant father and Argentine mother of Swiss origins. She spent her childhood between Santa Fe, Chaco, and Corrientes, in close contact with nature—an experience that would shape her artistic sensibility.
From a young age, she showed an inclination for both painting and music. She trained at the Ernesto de la Cárcova School of Decorative Arts in Buenos Aires and studied with renowned teachers such as Pío Collivadino, Vicente Puig, Juan Batlle Planas, Emilio Pettoruti, André Lhote (in Paris), and Kenneth Kemble. Simultaneously, she studied piano at the National Conservatory of Music and went on to perform as a concert pianist. The relationship between music and color would become a constant in her artistic production.
Only in 2000, when she was over 80 years old, did she begin to show her work to the public. In 2002, she held a major retrospective at the National Museum of Decorative Arts, which marked the beginning of her growing recognition. Since then, she had exhibited in galleries and museums in Argentina and abroad, establishing herself as a singular figure in contemporary Argentine art.
Her style was characterized by experimentation with painting, collage, and mixed media, incorporating paper, thread, and various assembled materials. Her works were often organized into series and feature vibrant abstract forms with a strong rhythmic and chromatic imprint that reflected her musical background.
In 2018, she was declared a Distinguished Figure of Culture by the Buenos Aires City Legislature. She also received tributes and retrospective exhibitions at institutions such as the National Museum of Fine Arts, where her career spanning more than a century was recognized.
Ides Kihlen continued painting and playing the piano daily even after turning 100. Her life and work reflected a profound conviction: art is not just a profession, but a way of life.
LongeviQuest extends our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Mrs. Ides Kihlen.
