Agustín Gaínza
Spanning over four decades, Agustín Gaínza has consummated a vibrant interpretation of the world around him. His body of work encompasses painting, drawing, printmaking and ceramics, and his unabashed use of color assumes a leading role in all of his endeavors. Memories of his native Cuba are intrinsically and harmoniously linked with a wicked sense of humor. Gaínza’s art is structured with various series of works. The moment he feels a theme may become repetitive, he passes on to another, often infusing trace elements from the previous series in the new ones. Gaínza’s notable series include: Harlequins, Guajiros, Rural, Interior, Contempt, Mulatas, Moninas, Mamboletas, Umbrellas, Matías Pérez and his inexhaustible City series. Gaínza has been featured in more than 60 solo and group exhibitions in the United States and countries throughout Europe, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean, including his country of origin. Noteworthy solo shows include: Paraguas y Sombrillas, BBVA, Oviedo, Spain (2012); Les mistères de La Havane, Ars Atelier, Paris, France (2010); Ciudad Semejante, Umbrales del Arte, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (2003); Mi Casa, Mi Ciudad, Ars Atelier, Union City, NJ (2000); Paintings-Ceramics-Graphic Works, Jadite Galleries, New York, NY (1995), and Recent Works, Ridel Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico (1990). Agustín Gaínza’s repertoire as a ceramicist has also been prolific. Splendid murals and sculptures flourish areas of Mercy Hospital, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and several Sergio’s restaurants in Miami, Florida with aplomb. Glass and textiles are other elements used in his visual language. Recycled bottles, many of them champagne and cognac, are afforded a new life when converted to lighting fixtures and
with the launch of his Freedom Collection, Gaínza augments his stockpile of pieces with clothing and other scintillating accessories. Agustín Gaínza’s work appears in various publications such as Memoria: Cuban Art of the 20th Century (2002) and Art of Cubans in Exile by José Gómez Sicre (1987). A plethora of book covers and magazines also brandish his artwork, including: Los Misterios de La Habana, Zoé Valdés. Editorial Planeta, Barcelona, España (2004); Mi pueblo, el mundo y yo, Enrique Córdoba Rocha. Ecoe Ediciones, Bogotá, Colombia (2001); Cuatro Cuentistas Cubanos Contemporáneos, Ubaldo Medina, Luis Amador, Armando R.Roig, Evelio Ancheta. Ediciones D’Fana, Miami, Florida (1995); Un día…tal vez un viernes, Carlos Deupí. Ediciones Universal, Miami, Florida (1992); Marquee, South Florida’s Magazine of the Arts and Entertainment (1983) and Alof, National Airlines Magazine (1980). In 1987 he participated in the Third Creative Workshop of Painters and Sculptors in Jerusalem. In Cuba, he co-founded 8 Versiones del Paisaje, the first island-wide art group whose purpose was to revitalize the landscape art tradition and he was also a member of the legendary Hermanos Saiz Brigade. Agustín Gaínza is a graduate of the Escuela de Arte San Alejandro in Havana, Cuba.
