 Darwin Leon
Darwin was born in 1972 in Santiago de las Vegas a small town in Havana, Cuba. Due to political and economical crisis he and his family left Cuba and went to Spain where they continued to the United States. He earned is Bachelors in Fine Arts degree from Miami International University of Art Design in March 2005 where he was awarded Best in Show for the First Juried Student Show Exhibition in 2004 and first place in the Visual Arts Scholarship Award of Excellence in 2003. Also he was awarded best in painting at The Art & Music Festival in 2004 Hollywood, Florida.
Darwin's first focus of style was religious portraits. However his passion seemed to be with figurative and expressionistic. He began developing the characters he drew as a child and transferred his thoughts to canvas. Along with personal experience Darwin incorporated sarcasm, satires, irony, theatrical elements and finally surrealism and cubism into his work. In some his most recent work, he is experimenting with chiaroscuro a master technique used by many artists during the Renaissance. Darwin's work is fresh and alive and the colors are radiant.
His brilliant use of messages hidden and obvious leaves the admirer wondering while constantly discovering something new.
--------------------------------
Biographical Information:
-------------------------
Born in Cuba, Santiago de las Vegas, Havana in 1972
Art Education:
--------------
2005 - Miami International University of Art and Design. (BFA/ Visual Arts-Painting)
Selective Group Exhibitions:
-----------------------------
2006-“The Skills Room I & II”, Student and Instructor exhibit at the ArtCenter South Florida, Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
2006 - Collection Privee, Representation, Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
2005 - Arts Summer Dreams, The City of Pembroke Pines Arts and Culture Advisory Board, Pembroke Pines Glass Gallery, Florida.
2004 - Art & Music Festival 2004, Downtown Hollywood. 1st Prize (best in painting)
“Emergence”, Majestic Properties and Ocean Drive Magazine. A series of three exhibitions from students at Miami International of Art & Design.
“First Juried Student Show at Miami International University of Art & Design” (First Place, Best in Show)
“Miami Beach Festival of the Arts”, celebrating 30th Anniversary 2004.
“Create for a Cure, Live Art Auction”, Miami Beach Relay For Life.
2003 - “Celebrations”, 2003 Holiday Exhibition at the Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL.
“Artelon”, Teatro Abanico in Coral Gables.
2002 - “Latin Mood”, The Exhibit Gallery in Boca Raton
2001 - “Second Thursdays”, Española Way in Miami Beach.
"United Artists", To support and contribute to Red Cross at The Green Door Gallery in downtown.
2000 - "Color and Form in America", Latin American Art Museum, as part of the Gallery Night of the Coral Gables Gallery Association.
"Sintesis de Latinoamerica", Latin American Art Museum, Coral Gables.
"ArtExpo 2000", The Florida Museum of Hispanic and Latin American Art and Batik International Art Barcelona, Spain & New York.
1999 - "Perspectiva 2000", The Florida Museum of Hispanic and Latin American Art, Coral Gables, Miami.
Selective Solo Exhibitions:
----------------------------
2007 - “Art Revolutions-A neo Renaissance Resurrection”, The Gallery at Eissey Campus, Palm Beach Community College.
2005-2006 - “The End of Mediocrity III”, Optical Spectrum, Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, FL
2005 - “The End of Mediocrity II”, Gallery of the Unknown Artist, Hollywood, FL
2004 - “The End of Mediocrity I”, at Joffreys’s Coffee - Kendall, Miami.
2003 - “The World in Disguise III”, at Joffrey’s Coffee- Kendall, Miami.
“New Work”, City Hall - Hollywood, Florida.
2002 - “The World in Disguise II”, at Joffrey’s Coffee - Lincoln Road.
“The World in Disguise I”, The Urban Village Gallery - Coconut Grove.
“Phantom of the Bass, The Surrealistic Work of Darwin Leon”, Bass Museum of Art.
“The Cubistic Surrealistic World of Darwin Leon”, Art Wednesdays at Macarena's South Beach
Ongoing exhibition in Coconut Grove at The Urban Village Gallery.
2001 - "Soul Expressions", South Art Gallery in Portobello Restaurant in Coral Gables.
"The Magical World Of Darwin Leon", at The Latin American Art Museum as part of the "Two Cuban Artists in Exile" exhibition at Little Havana
Cultural Fridays.
"Satirical Rhymes". Casa Panza Restaurant and Gallery as part of Little Havana. Cultural Fridays.
"Satirical Encounters". Meet the Artist series at Coral Gables International Art Center.
2000 - "Meet the Artist series", Coral Gables International Art Center.
1999 - "Sarcastic Satire", The Wallflower Gallery, Downtown Miami.
Special Projects:
-----------------
2003 - Layout Menu design for Joffrey’s Restaurant and Coffee Shop in Kendall Miami.
Honors and Awards:
------------------
2007 - Alianza Hispana of Tampa Bay, Calendar contest winner of the month of December 2008
-Hispanic Alliance of Tampa Bay, Clearwater City Hall Exhibit
2004 - First Student Juried Show at AI Miami International University of Art & Design. Best in show
-Art & Music Festival in Downtown Hollywood. Best in Painting
2003 - Visual Arts Scholarship Award of Excellence at AI Miami International University of Art & Design. First place.
Collections:
------------
Joffrey’s Coffee and Restaurant, Kendall Miami
Private collections in Washington DC, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Michigan, New York, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, Baton Rouge.
Publications / Bibliography:
----------------------------
“Artist combines the classic with the surreal”, Hometown News Palm Beach County (2007)
“Pintor Cubano exhibe en PBCC”, La Palma, Palm Beach (2007)
“City Hall ‘dreams’ of art”, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, July 6, 2005
“Cubistic Surrealism” Featured artist, Closer Magazine (2004)
“Student Spotlight” – Darwin Leon, The Pulse – A student publication, winter edition- Miami International of Art & Design (2004)
“The fine art of fun”, The Herald, Sunday, October 24, 2004, Hollywood, Florida
"Exposicion Pictorica de Darwin Leon”, El Argentino, MercoSur (2001)
"Dos Pintores Cubanos en el Exilio", El Bohemio News (2001)
"Artists for the New Millenium", New Times (2000)
"Darwin leon y La Satira Como Expresion", El Argentino, MercoSur (2000)
"Works by Darwin Leon", Miami Today (2000)
"Sarcastic Satire", Discourse Magazine (1999) |
Cart
