Williams Carmona
Pinar del Río, Cuba, 1967
Biography Details
Painter, printmaker, sculptor. Carmona studied at the Instituto Superior de las Artes in Havana. Since 1991 he has lived and worked in Puerto Rico. He has taken part in several local and international group exhibits, art fairs, and solo shows, such as Art Miami, which he has attended since 2000. Carmona’s surrealistic work has been purchased by important private and public collections in the United States, Latin America, and Europe. He affirms the relationship between art and politics, and thus is representative of the young generation of Cuban artists who emigrate seeking freedom on both a personal and artistic level. In his pictorial and graphic work and, more recently, in his sculptures and constructions, he combines characters from other times, almost fantastic, with current situations, in order to address issues such as displacement, exile, geography, and abuse. His work has been described as Caribbean Surrealism and neo-Baroque.
Artist Statement
“My art is a kind of metamorphosis. It is a daily metamorphosis dealing with the realization of my daily evolution – it is very Kafka-esque and poetic in one way. I want people to weave a story around what I am saying. What I have done up until this point is to confront people with their destiny in their present (life) and to make them feel that art exist. I make images that say something and that mean something”.
Source: Interview by Cynthia MacMullin, LatinArt.com, 2009. http://www.latinart.com/transcript.cfm?id=17
Formation
Education
1986
- Bachelor’s Degree. Facultad de Bellas Artes, Universidad de la Habana, Havana, Cuba
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2014
- 8x10, San Patricio Art Center- SPACE, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
2013
- América Le-Trina, Galería UNIX, New York, United States
2011
- Lo parecido, nunca será igual, Obra Galería Alegría, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente, Obra Galería Alegría, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2010
- Verdades que me fatigan, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2008
- Pragmatismo, Murer Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Williams Carmona: Obra Reciente, Latin Art Core Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States
2006
- Hecha un ojo a lo que ves, Moliero Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States
2003
- Historias Cocidas, Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Días de gloria, Praxis Art International, Miami, Florida, United States
2000
- Salta pa’lante y no mires pa’tras, Praxis Art International, New York, United States
1999
- Jump! It’s Shallow, Museo de las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- De cierta manera, yo, Brewster Arts, New York, United States
1997
- Tropical Surrealism, Brewster Arts, New York, United States
1996
- Los Remedios del Futuro, Museo de las Américas, San Juan; Corinne Timsit International Galleries, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
- Williams Carmona, Brewster Arts Limited, New York, United States
1994
- Un Elogio a mi fe, Casa de Bastides, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Todos miran, pocos ven, Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Traspié en el paraíso, Corinne Timsit International Galleries, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1991
- This world is crazy, Esportun Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
- My colleague Martí sleeps, Instituto Avanzado de Arte, Havana, Cuba
1990
- Who said that I was a stranger in this world, Escuela Internacional de Cine, Havana, Cuba
1988
- We stand on a sphere but do not see the world, Instituto Avanzado de Arte, Havana, Cuba
Group Shows
2013
- Interior Design Auction, Christies Auction House New York, New York, United States
2012
- Latin American Art Auction, Christies Auction House New York, New York, United States
2011
- Arte America, Cernuda Art Gallery, Miami Art Fair, Miami, Florida, United States
- Important Cuban Artworks, Cernuda Arte Gallery, Art Basel, Miami, Florida, United States
- Invited artist, ART WINE, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
-
Latin American Masters Painters, Murer Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, Estados Unidos
-
Arte en América, Convention Center Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, United States
- Circa 2006, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Subasta de Arte Latinoamericano, Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Feria de Arte Latinoamericano, Merril Lynch, Miami, Florida, United States
2003
- Miami Art Fair, Miami, Florida, United States
- Historias cocidas, Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Chicago Art Fair, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Spatium Latin American Arts, Caracas, Venezuela
- Cernuda Arte, Miami, Florida, United States
- Galería Tamara, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Between Friends, Galería Tamara, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
- Subasta, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Cuatro Artistas Cubanos, Galería Cueto, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Colectiva de pequeños formatos, Tamara Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1998
- Latin American Works, University of Florida, Miami, Florida, United States
- Entre tres, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Breaking the Barriers, Museum of Art/Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
- Colectiva de pequeños formatos, Galería Luiggi Marozini, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Hogueras Caribeñas, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sotheby’s Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States
1996
- Modern Miniatures, Brewster Arts, New York, United States
- Nassau County Museum of Arts, Long Island, New York, United States
1995
- Antiguo Arsenal de la Marina Española, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Latin American Painters, New York, United States
- I Muestra de Arte Puertorriqueño, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1991
- Galería de Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto Avanzado de Arte, Havana, Cuba
1990
- Retrospectiva de pintura cubana, Rome, Italy
1989
- Pintores cubanos, Museo de Arte, Havana, Cuba
- III Bienal de la Habana, Museo Nacional de La Habana, Havana, Cuba
1986
- Bama Trienal, Bama, Czechoslovakia
1985
- Closed Restroom you Read Better, Instituto Avanzado de Arte, Havana, Cuba
1983
- Engravings exhibitions, Teatro Karl Marx, Havana, Cuba
1988-1987
- Instituto Avanzado de Arte, Havana, Cuba
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2012
- Medalla de honor Antonio Luis Ferrer, Town Hall, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
- Jurors Award of Excellence. Universidad de la Habana, Havana, Cuba
1989
- Honorable Mention. VIII Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Painting Award. Provincial Hall, Pinar del Rio, Cuba
1988
- First Prize. Provincial Hall, Pinar del Rio, Cuba
- Award. Galería Thalía, Havana, Cuba
1987
- Commendation. VII Bienal de San Juan del Grabado Latinoamericano y del Caribe, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Print Award. Provincial Hall, Pinar del Rio, Cuba
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Carrillo Gil Museum, Mexico D.F., Mexico
- Cernuda Art Gallery, Miami, Florida, United States
- Coliseo de Puerto Rico Jose Miguel Agrelot, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Fundación Jamie Walsh, Madrid, Spain
- Galería Spatium, Caracas, Venezuela
- Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Jack Lemon Foundation, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Jamie Walsh Foundation, Madrid, Spain
- Ludwig Foundation Collection, Colonia, Germany
- Miami University Private Collection, Miami, Florida, United States
- MOLAA Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Museo Carrillo Gil, Mexico City, Mexico
- Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba
- Museo de San Juan, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo del Barrio, New York, United States
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Santiago, Chile
- Museo de Arte Moderno, San Salvador, Salvador
- Musée Pompidou, Paris, France
- Museum of Art/Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States
- Nassau Country Museum of Art, New York, United States
- Praxis Art International, New York, United States
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, United States
- United Nations Latin American Art Collection, New York, United States
Bibliography
Catalogues
“Verdades que me fatigan”, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, 2010.
“Los Remedios del Futuro”, Museo de las Américas, 1996.
“Días de Gloria”. Miami, Florida, Estados Unidos, 2002.
“Salta pa’lante, no mires pa’tras”. Nueva York, Estados Unidos, 2000.
Newspapers
Batet, Janet. “La sartén por el mango”. El Nuevo Herald (Miami, FL), 21 de diciembre de 2008.
Pérez, Tatiana. “Plural Carmona en Miami”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR).
Toro Ortiz, Ana Teresa. “Williams Carmona en Art Miami”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 8 de enero de 2006, p. 23.
Magazines
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Williams Carmona”. ArtNexus (Estados Unidos), Núm. 64, Vol. 6, 2007.
Web
Interview by Cynthia MacMullin, LatinArt.com, 2009. http://www.latinart.com/transcript.cfm?id=17
“Williams Carmona. American Le-Trina”. Wall Street International, September 30, 2013. https://wsimag.com/art/2994-williams-carmona-american-le-trina#.UoKIRZTk8-M
“Progressive Transition. Latin American Art Triennial, Fall 2019”, Lehman College Art Gallery, 2019. http://www.lehmangallery.org/latin-american-triennial/
Barceló Jiménez, Josefina. “Obra de Williams Carmona emigra hasta la Trienal de Nueva York”. El Nuevo Día, 14 de septiembre de 2019. https://www.elnuevodia.com/entretenimiento/cultura/notas/obra-de-williams-cardona-emigra-hasta-la-trienal-de-nueva-york/