Josignacio
Encyclopedia
Jose Ignacio Sanchez Rius, known as Josignacio for artistic name, was born in Havana
, Cuba
on October 24, 1963. He is a contemporary Cuban Artist (painter), neo-figurative, mostly abstract, who has resided in the USA since 1989 and he is notably known for the creation of the plastic paint medium in 1984. The Plastic Paint Medium is a painting technique consisting in the use of epoxy resins as an "agglutinating medium" and "pigments" as colorants, obtaining a real plastic finish with a new visual effect. Josignacio is one of the artists of the controversial (The 80's Generation) "La Generacion de los 80" which include Gustavo Acosta, José Bedia Valdés
, Carlos Cardenas, Consuelo Castañeda, Humberto Castro
, Arturo Cuenca, Ana Albertina Delgado,Tomas Esson, Moisés Finalé, Flavio Garciandía, Rogelio López, Marín (Gory), Rubén Torres Llorca
, Glexis Novoa, Tomás Sánchez
, Juan-Si and Pedro A. Vizcaino Martinez among others. Some of his artwork is currently available on display at the Laura Brunetti Art Gallery located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
as well as online at artnet. Josignacio currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida
.
, René Portocarrero
, Amelia Peláez
, Felipe Lopez
, Mariano Rodriguez "El Gallego Posada" and Gilberto Marino.
During these visits these painters taught Josignacio new methods and painting techniques. Notably, in one of Josignacio's interviews, he had been asked "when did you begin to paint?" His reply was: "I do not recall when; it had been a part of my daily life like everything else." Among his teachers his talent as a future painter was obvious, and in 1983 he went presented himself to the admissions test at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). Out of the many who tested, he was one of the few to pass. Overjoyed with the news, Josignacio shaved his head, stating "new life, new hair." When he came to school to attend the Dean banned him from the premises and from attending because they interpreted his head shaving as protest against the government. One of Josignacio's teachers, Consuelo Castaneda, also had been banned from the Instituto Superior de Arte
(ISA) because of having a punk hairstyle.
This turn of destiny gave Josignacio an obsession to learning all related with art, art history and to be the best in his field. After being banned, his challenge and goal was to beat ISA graduates in every sense possible.
In 1984 working as a helping hand for Martinez Anay and Andres Ugalde in the making of a big mural painting for the Military Patriotic Educational Society known as Sociedad de Educación Patriótico-Militar (SEPMI) (the Cuban version of the Boy Scouts). This agency had been directed by Cuban Cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
. It was during this time Josignacio accidentally discovered that mixing epoxy resin with oil paintings was an excellent medium to paint with.
This new medium took him two years to develop and master. When he was ready his Uncle Gerardo got him his first personal exhibition at the Artistic and Literary Lyceum of the city of Regla on March 2, 1987. This was the first time that a complete paintings exhibition was made with only the plastic paint medium and had been displayed worldwide. Since then his artwork had been on display at more than 20 exhibitions before finally being invited to exhibit his art in Mexico City on May 10, 1989.
With no explanation being given to him, all his planned shows at The Gallery of the National Auditorium and Los Talleres de Coyoacán were cancelled by orders of the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. After this turning point, he made the decision to come to the USA on September 14, 1989 and has resided there since then. Josignacio is an American Citizen.
; however, Karel Appel
and Wassily Kandinsky
have had a special focus. In his childhood Josignacio had been more motivated by color than by forms, a distinguishing factor in his artwork that was often noted among his peers and family. The only exception to his art was his self-portrait, which he did according to academic style. In his first exhibition, his entire collection of paintings were all abstracts. It was from this point of time that his future as an abstract/neo-figurative painter had been decided.
victims. For both Hurricane Katrina
and Hurricane Andrew
, Josignacio helped raise funds for the victims. In 1992 after Hurricane Andrew
struck South Florida he organized an auction with more than 100 Cuban painters for victims of the tragedy. In the early 90's Josignacio helped raise funds for AIDS
organizations such as "The Project Genesis." Since 1996 Josignacio has helped raise funds for the Miami Children's Hospital
. His most recent donation was to Hedge Funds Care, an international charity, whose sole mission is preventing and treating child abuse and supported largely by the hedge fund industry.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
on October 24, 1963. He is a contemporary Cuban Artist (painter), neo-figurative, mostly abstract, who has resided in the USA since 1989 and he is notably known for the creation of the plastic paint medium in 1984. The Plastic Paint Medium is a painting technique consisting in the use of epoxy resins as an "agglutinating medium" and "pigments" as colorants, obtaining a real plastic finish with a new visual effect. Josignacio is one of the artists of the controversial (The 80's Generation) "La Generacion de los 80" which include Gustavo Acosta, José Bedia Valdés
José Bedia Valdés
José Braulio Bedia Valdés is a Cuban painter.Bedia studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes “San Alejandro” and then finished his art studies at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana....
, Carlos Cardenas, Consuelo Castañeda, Humberto Castro
Humberto Castro
Humberto Castro is an important Cuban painter.He studied at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes "San Alejandro" and at the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba...
, Arturo Cuenca, Ana Albertina Delgado,Tomas Esson, Moisés Finalé, Flavio Garciandía, Rogelio López, Marín (Gory), Rubén Torres Llorca
Rubén Torres Llorca
Rubén Torres Llorca is a Cuban-American artist specializing in painting, drawing, sculpture, collages, and photography. He studied from 1972 to 1976 at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes “San Alejandro” in Havana and from 1976 to 1981, studied at the Instituto Superior de Arte , also in Havana...
, Glexis Novoa, Tomás Sánchez
Tomás Sánchez
Tomás Sánchez is a Cuban painter specializing in stately and often idealized landscapes. He studied at the San Alejandro School of Plastic Arts and the National School of Art in Havana, Cuba. His accolades include the Joan Miró Prize in 1980 and the Amelia Peláez Award in 1984. In 1989 he...
, Juan-Si and Pedro A. Vizcaino Martinez among others. Some of his artwork is currently available on display at the Laura Brunetti Art Gallery located in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Sunny Isles Beach is a city located on a barrier island in northeast Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The City is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Intracoastal Waterway on the west...
as well as online at artnet. Josignacio currently resides in Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
.
Early life
Josignacio came from a family of intellectuals and was surrounded by a vast collection of paintings. During his youth his home looked more like a museum than a place to dwell. There had been many family friends who visited regularly. Among them were painters such as Roberto FabeloRoberto Fabelo
Roberto Fabelo is a contemporary Cuban artist. He is both a painter and illustrator.Born in Guáimaro, Camagüey, Fabelo studied at The National Art School and at the Superior Art Institute of Havana. He was a professor and a jury member for very important national and international visual arts...
, René Portocarrero
René Portocarrero
René Portocarrero was a Cuban artist recognised internationally for his achievements.-History:...
, Amelia Peláez
Amelia Peláez
Amelia Peláez del Casal was an important Cuban painter of the Avant-garde generation.-Biography:Amelia was born in 1896 in Yaguajay, in the former Cuban province of Las Villas...
, Felipe Lopez
Felipe López
Felipe López may refer to:*Felipe López *Felipe López *Felipe López *Felipe Molas López , former president of Paraguay...
, Mariano Rodriguez "El Gallego Posada" and Gilberto Marino.
During these visits these painters taught Josignacio new methods and painting techniques. Notably, in one of Josignacio's interviews, he had been asked "when did you begin to paint?" His reply was: "I do not recall when; it had been a part of my daily life like everything else." Among his teachers his talent as a future painter was obvious, and in 1983 he went presented himself to the admissions test at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). Out of the many who tested, he was one of the few to pass. Overjoyed with the news, Josignacio shaved his head, stating "new life, new hair." When he came to school to attend the Dean banned him from the premises and from attending because they interpreted his head shaving as protest against the government. One of Josignacio's teachers, Consuelo Castaneda, also had been banned from the Instituto Superior de Arte
Instituto Superior de Arte
The University of Arts of Cuba - , Instituto Superior de Arte was established on September 1, 1976 by the Cuban government as a school for the arts. Its original structure had three schools: Music, Visual Arts, and Performing Arts....
(ISA) because of having a punk hairstyle.
This turn of destiny gave Josignacio an obsession to learning all related with art, art history and to be the best in his field. After being banned, his challenge and goal was to beat ISA graduates in every sense possible.
In 1984 working as a helping hand for Martinez Anay and Andres Ugalde in the making of a big mural painting for the Military Patriotic Educational Society known as Sociedad de Educación Patriótico-Militar (SEPMI) (the Cuban version of the Boy Scouts). This agency had been directed by Cuban Cosmonaut Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez
Arnaldo Tamayo Méndez was the first Cuban citizen and the first person from a country in the Western Hemisphere other than the United States to travel into earth orbit...
. It was during this time Josignacio accidentally discovered that mixing epoxy resin with oil paintings was an excellent medium to paint with.
This new medium took him two years to develop and master. When he was ready his Uncle Gerardo got him his first personal exhibition at the Artistic and Literary Lyceum of the city of Regla on March 2, 1987. This was the first time that a complete paintings exhibition was made with only the plastic paint medium and had been displayed worldwide. Since then his artwork had been on display at more than 20 exhibitions before finally being invited to exhibit his art in Mexico City on May 10, 1989.
With no explanation being given to him, all his planned shows at The Gallery of the National Auditorium and Los Talleres de Coyoacán were cancelled by orders of the Cuban embassy in Mexico City. After this turning point, he made the decision to come to the USA on September 14, 1989 and has resided there since then. Josignacio is an American Citizen.
Influences
Since his youth Josignacio has been influenced by the abstract expressionists of the New York SchoolNew York School
The New York School was an informal group of American poets, painters, dancers, and musicians active in the 1950s, 1960s in New York City...
; however, Karel Appel
Karel Appel
Christiaan Karel Appel was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s...
and Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
have had a special focus. In his childhood Josignacio had been more motivated by color than by forms, a distinguishing factor in his artwork that was often noted among his peers and family. The only exception to his art was his self-portrait, which he did according to academic style. In his first exhibition, his entire collection of paintings were all abstracts. It was from this point of time that his future as an abstract/neo-figurative painter had been decided.
Social causes and charity work
Josignacio has contributed to social causes. Most recently Josignacio is known for raising funds for the 2010 Haiti earthquake2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
victims. For both Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
, Josignacio helped raise funds for the victims. In 1992 after Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
struck South Florida he organized an auction with more than 100 Cuban painters for victims of the tragedy. In the early 90's Josignacio helped raise funds for AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
organizations such as "The Project Genesis." Since 1996 Josignacio has helped raise funds for the Miami Children's Hospital
Miami Children's Hospital
Miami Children's Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine and is routinely ranked among...
. His most recent donation was to Hedge Funds Care, an international charity, whose sole mission is preventing and treating child abuse and supported largely by the hedge fund industry.
Awards
- 2000 - Titled the "Chief Painter of lle lfe" for the best interpretation through color of the Yoruba Religion.
- 1996 - Awarded the "Best in Show Prize" at Hortt 38 jury art show exhibition at the Museum of Art Fort LauderdaleMuseum of Art Fort LauderdaleThe Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale is an art museum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originating in 1958 as the Fort Lauderdale Art Center, the museum is located in a modernist building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. The current building was constructed in 1986, with a wing added in 2001...
in Florida. - 1980 - Awarded first prize in painting at the Escuela Vocacional Militar Camilo Cienfuegos de Guanabacoa, Havana.
- 1979 - Awarded first prize in painting at the Escuela Vocacional Militar Camilo Cienfuegos de Guanabacoa, Havana.
Documentary
- 2010 - "Josignacio: The Master of Colors" by Calico Productions. Director is Daniel Urdanivia.
- 2008 - "Josignacio: Las Formas del Color" by Art Work Productions, Director Roberto J. Cayuso.
- 2006 - "La Pintura Cubana" by Art Work Productions, Director Roberto J. Cayuso.
- 1988 - "Concierto Sentido" with Cuban musician José María VitierJosé María VitierJosé María Vitier is a Cuban music composer and pianist. He has made music for movies and television, as well as compositions for piano, symphonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, among other formats....
Exhibitions
- 2010 - "Josignacio: The Master of Colors" exhibition previewing the artworks appearing in the documentary of the same title at the Surf Club in Surfside, FloridaSurfside, FloridaSurfside is a town in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 4,909 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 4,710.-Geography:...
. - 2009 - "Saint Michael de Archangel" at Hialeah Park RaceTrack re-opening in Hialeah, FloridaHialeah, FloridaHialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
. - 2007 - "Music for Pisces" at the Gallery of Regions Bank in Coral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
. - 2007 - "Collages and Things" at Mario Fine Arts Gallery in Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
. - 1991 to 2007 - Art Miami
- 1997 - "Liquid Sex" at Liquid Night Club organized by Ingrid Casares and Chris Paciello.
- 1997 - "Hot Sex at Your own Risk" at Risk Night Club organized by Ingrid Casares and Chris PacielloChris PacielloChris Paciello is a convicted felon who was a nightclub owner in Miami in the 1990s. After serving a prison sentence, he is currently a restaurant owner in Los Angeles....
. - 1997 - "Marihuana" at Risk Night Club organized by Ingrid Casares and Chris PacielloChris PacielloChris Paciello is a convicted felon who was a nightclub owner in Miami in the 1990s. After serving a prison sentence, he is currently a restaurant owner in Los Angeles....
. - 1997 - "The Miami Clowns" at Risk Night Club organized by Ingrid Casares and Chris PacielloChris PacielloChris Paciello is a convicted felon who was a nightclub owner in Miami in the 1990s. After serving a prison sentence, he is currently a restaurant owner in Los Angeles....
. - 1997 - "Live Collages" at Risk Night Club organized by Ingrid Casares and Chris PacielloChris PacielloChris Paciello is a convicted felon who was a nightclub owner in Miami in the 1990s. After serving a prison sentence, he is currently a restaurant owner in Los Angeles....
. - 1996 - Museum of Art Fort LauderdaleMuseum of Art Fort LauderdaleThe Museum of Art | Fort Lauderdale is an art museum in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Originating in 1958 as the Fort Lauderdale Art Center, the museum is located in a modernist building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. The current building was constructed in 1986, with a wing added in 2001...
, Florida Hortt 38 - 1996- "Josignacio" at Alfredo Martinez Gallery
- 1996- "Josignacio" at Domingo Padron Gallery in Coral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables, FloridaCoral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, southwest of Downtown Miami, in the United States. The city is home to the University of Miami....
- 1996- Art Palm Beach, represented by Ramiro Casanas Gallery located in Palm Beach, FloridaPalm Beach, FloridaThe Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
. - 1988- Salon de la Ciudad in Havana, Cuba.
Additional exhibitions
From 1987 to 1989 Josignacio had his artwork on display at the following Galleries for exhibition:- Galeria del Liceo Artistico y Literario de Regla
- Galeria San Miguel del PadronSan Miguel del PadrónSan Miguel del Padrón is a municipality in Havana city, Cuba. It is one of the 15 municipalities into which the city is divided. It is on Havana's south-eastern outskirts, stretching from Ciudad Mar to Diezmero and from Reparto Mañana to Caballo Blanco....
- Galeria de la Casa del Joven Creador
- Galeria del Palacio del Segundo Cabo
- Galeria del Karl MarxKarl MarxKarl Heinrich Marx was a German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. His ideas played a significant role in the development of social science and the socialist political movement...
- Galeria del teatro Mella
- Centro de Exposiciones Pabellon Cuba
- Galeria de la Casa de la Cultura de Plaza
- Galeria del Comité Estatal de Finanzas
- La Casona, Sede del Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Cuban National Ballet)
- Galeria del Fondo Cubano de Vienes Culturales
- Galeria del Café Teatro Bretch
Writings and Essays
- 2008 - "Josignacio: Un Pintor Abstracto en Miami" (An Abstract Painter in Miami) by Dr. Emilio Ichikawa, a renown Cuban intellectual, Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
- 1995 - "The Flag" by Jorge VallsJorge VallsJorge Valls is a well-known Cuban activist and poet. He was born in Cuba and was arrested as a political activist by Fidel Castro in 1964. He spent more than 20 years behind bars in many Cuban prisons and was released in 1984...
, Miami, FloridaMiami, FloridaMiami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... - 1991 - "Josignacio's Newism" by art consultant and critic Roberto J Cayuso, Miami
- 1989 - "Josignacio es una revolucion dentro de la revolucion" (Josignacio is a Revolution Inside the Revolution) by Colombian writer Gabriel García MárquezGabriel García MárquezGabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez is a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. He is considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in...
Havana, Cuba - 1988 - "La Magia de Josignacio" (Josignacio's Magic) by Miguel Cabrera, Historian of Cuban National Ballet, Havana, Cuba
- 1988 - "El Torbellino Cromatico en la Obra de Josignacio" (Tornados Chromatic in Josignacio's Artworks) by Lisandro OteroLisandro OteroLisandro Otero González was a Cuban novelist and journalist.Born in Havana, Cuba, Otero won the National Prize of Literature in 2002, and was the director of Cuban Academy of Language since October 2004 to his death. He also was a member of The Royal Academy of Spanish Language and Member of the...
(Cuban novelist), Havana, Cuba - 1988 - "Josignacio y sus juegos de resinas" (Josignacio and his Resin Games) by Dr. Antonio Núñez JiménezAntonio Núñez JiménezAntonio Núñez Jiménez was a Cuban revolutionary and academic. He was born in Alquízar, Havana Province. Núñez received his first doctorate from the University of Havana in 1950, and would later receive a second from the Lomonosov University of Moscow...
(renowned Cuban academic), Havana, Cuba - 1987 - "Josignacio" by Dr. Jose Antonio Portoundo (renowned Cuban Intellectual), Havana, Cuba
External links
- Ichikawa, Emilio, Josignacio: un pintor abstracto en Miami, Miami, Florida, El Nuevo Herald, August 11, 2008.
- Alvarez-Bravo, Armando, De Ronda, Miami, Florida, El Nuevo Herald, September 4, 1996.
- http://www.josignacio.com/_/OFFICIAL_SITE_OF_JOSIGNACIO.html
- http://www.artnet.com/artist/425946890/josignacio.html
- http://www.hortt38.com/Welcome.html
- http://art629.com/archives/65
- http://plasticpaintmedium.com/plasticpaintmedium/Welcome.html
- http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-09-08/entertainment/9609060188_1_juror-s-statement-paintings-art-history/2