Elio Rodriguez
Elio Rodriguez – Works available on Artsy (link)
Elio Rodriguez was born in 1966, and lives and works in Spain. His practice is engaged with the system of judgments about a person, a culture or phenomenon. Tapping the prism of Caribbean popular culture, its underlying humor and clichés formed about the culture, he builds witty and sensual works that seemingly incarnate that reality, and subtly and continuously question it. The ambivalence of genres is key to understanding the essence of his work. Rodriguez conceives a game of illusions with the viewer using the language of form and surface — and ultimately reveals traces of doubt in the identity of a concept or an image. His practice encompasses painting, installations, sculptures, prints, ceramics, and soft sculpture interacting with chosen objects, his style referring to marks of Caribbean popular craftwork.
In 1994, he completed his arts studies at Havana’s Higher Institute of Art (ISA). He has been awarded Art Residencies at Hutchins Institute, Harvard University, at Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburg, and given lectures at Harvard University, NYU, and Swarthmore College. His artwork has been displayed in several solo and group shows around the world. He is in public collections such as National Arts Museum, Cuba; Jersey City State University; Foundation AMBA, Brazil; Hainaut City Hall, Belgium; Peggy Crafitz Collection; Center For Cuban Studies, New York; Von Christierson Collection, London; Shelley & Donald Rubin Collection, New York; W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard University.
RESIDENCIES
2015 Visiting Fellow Hutchins Center, Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
2010 Artist in Residency Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2003 Artist in Residency. El Museo Diego Rivera & Francisco Oller, Buffalo, NY
2002 Guest Professor. Tufts University, Medford, MA
Guest Artis, Ceramic Workshop, Harvard University, Boston
COLLECTIONS
Museo Nacional de Artes, Cuba
Jersey City State University
Foundation AMBA, Brazil
Hainaut City Hall, Belgium
Museo del Humor, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba
Bratton Gallery, New York
Southside Gallery, Oxford, MS
La Boheme Fine arts Gallery, Miami
Cinque Gallery, New York
Center for Cuban Studies, New York
Arte y Naturaleza, Madrid, Spain
Peggy Crafitz Collection, Washington DC
Chris Von Christierson Collection, London
Shelley and Donald Rubin Collection, New York
W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard University, MA
SELECT SOLO SHOWS
2017 Factoria, Havana, Cuba
2016 Puzzled, Jaeckel Gallery New York City
2015. Presión Contenida, Charpa Gallery, Valencia, Spain
2014 Corridas y Venidas, Breese Little Gallery, London, UK
2012 Cannival / Carnival, Elio Rodríguez and Douglas Pérez. Bresse Little Gallery, London, UK
Selva en las Paredes. Pumps Project, Las Cigarreras, Alicante, Spain
2009 Ceiba Negra Contemporary Art Center L ́Escorxador, Elche, Alicante, Spain
2007 Remakes Frick Fine Arts Gallery. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
2006 Elio Rodríguez/Mayra Alpizar, Cervantes Institute, London, UK
Ceiba (with artist Susana Guerrero) IX Havana Biennial. Provincial Center of Art Gallery, Havana, Cuba
2005 Remakes Gallery 23 y 12, Havana, Cuba
2003 Quilts & co. Open Studio, VII Havana Biennial. Casa Gaia, Teniente Rey # 157, H. Vieja, Havana, Cuba
2001 El Macho: Made in Cuba El Museo Diego Rivera & Francisco Oller, Buffalo, NY
2000 Vogue Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Havana, Cuba.
Elio Rodríguez UNEAC/ Nicolás Guillén Foundation, Havana, Cuba
Elio Rodríguez/René Peña Galerie Winance-Sabre, Tournai, Belgium 1999 Mulatisímas “La Casona” Gallery, FCBC, Havana, Cuba
1997 La Gran Salsa “23 y 12” Gallery, VI Havana Biennial Havana, Cuba.
1996 Las Perlas de tu Boca Gallery Serigraphy Workshop, Havana, Cuba.
1995 Paladares Alternative Gallery “Espacio Estudio”, Havana, Cuba
Paladares Student Union Gallery, Jersey City State University
1994 Tropical Gallery House of Young Creator, V Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba.
Recent Works Arts Space Gallery, Jersey City State University
1993 Morboutopías Center for Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1991 El Macho Centro Provincial de Arte, Havana, Cuba.
¿Mami, qué será lo que quiere el negro? Art Faculty Gallery, Havana University, Havana, Cuba
LECTURES
Harvard University, Thompson Room, Barker Center, Cambridge, MA, USA (Feb 2015)
Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard University, MA, EUA (feb. 2012) New York University, New York (oct, 2010)
CUNY. Graduate Center. New York University, NYC. USA. (Nov. 2007)
Connecticut University, Hartford, Connecticut. USA. (Oct. 2007/Oct. 2010)
Pittsburgh University, Pittsburgh. USA. (Oct. 2007/Oct 2010)
Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño, Habana, Cuba (March. 1997)
Centre of Development of Visual Arts, Havana City, Cuba (Sept. 1998)
Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. (Oct. 2001)
University at Buffalo, State University of New York, USA (Nov. 2001/Oct. 2002/Nov 2007)
Hunter College, New York, NY, USA (Sept. 1995)
Rutgers State University, Newark, NJ. USA. (March. 1996)
Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ, USA (1995/96/97/2000/2002)
Mississippi University, Oxford, MS, USA (1998)
Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA. (Oct. 2001)
Sumei Interdisciplinary Arts Center, Newark, NJ, USA (1995/1996)
Arts University “Miguel Hernández”, Altea, Alicante, Spain. (Oct. 2005)
SELECT GROUP SHOWS
2015 En Voz Alta Thomas Jaeckel Gallery, New York
Bodegón Fabrica de Arte Cubano, Havana, Cuba
Drapetomania Cooper Gallery, Cambridge, MA
2014 Iconografias de la Desobediencia Punto Gallery, Valencia, Spain
Manipulación Mediática en el Arte Cubano Contemporaneo Center of Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba
Drapetomania Diáspora Museum, San Francisco, LA
Consonantes. Serigrafías del Taller Christian Walter Fundacion Antonio Gala, Cordova,
Drapetomania The 8th Floor Gallery, New York
2013 Citizens of the World. Cuba in Queens. Queens Museum, New York
Drapetomania. Center of Development of Visual Arts, Havana, Cuba
Drapetomania. Art Provincial Center, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba.
2012 El Deporte, Derecho del Arte (parte I) Gallery Espacio Abierto, Havana, Cuba
Queloides. Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research, Harvard University, MA
2011 Ya se Leer Wifredo Lam Center, Havana, Cuba
Cuban Gold. Contemporary Cuban Prints London Print Studio, London, United Kingdom.
Queloides. Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art 8th Floor Gallery, NYC
2010 Without Masks Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa
Queloides. Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2009 Queloides. Race and Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art Centro Wifredo Lam, Havana, Cuba
X Bienal de la Habana. Genero (Trans)Genero y los Degenerados. Centro Cultural Bertold Berth. Havana, Cuba