Fredy Villamil
Works & Biography
FREDY VILLAMIL
By Denise M. Gerson, Former Associate Director, Curator, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami.
First noticed and now represented by art dealer Aldo Castillo, Fredy Villamil's dazzling paintings synthesize figuration, abstraction, line, form, and color with an artistic mastery that belies his youthful hand. Born in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, in 1980, as a child Villamil received art lessons from his father, Francis M. Villamil, a painter and teacher of fine arts in Havana. Formal study followed at the EVA (Cuba’s Vocational School of Art) and at La Quinta de los Molinos, both in Havana. Since he was a child, Villamil was drawn to Havana’s House of Culture (Casa de Cultura), where he widened his artistic circle, meeting and engaging with emerging and established artists, many of whom, including Ruben Suarez Quidiello, Angel Boligan, Nuez Jose M. Delarr, Heriberto Mora, José Luis Posada, and Eberto Escobedo are today renowned among collectors, museums, and cultural institutions.
Artistic training aside, Villamil considers himself, at heart, self-taught, and indeed, his work is born of elements that resist instruction -- intuition, emotional connection, and memory -- the stuff of personal artistic vision. The last of these influences, memory, is a potent vestige of the diaspora experience that took the painter on an artistic and personal journey within a span of many years from Havana to Mexico to Spain, and in 2010 led him to emigrate to the United States. Along the way Villamil exhibited to acclaim in Mexico, USA, Turkey, Costa Rica, Iran, India, China, Japan, and Azerbaijan, amassing a trove of international awards and honors that recognize and acknowledge his original contributions to contemporary visual art.
Gazing into Villamil's paintings is metaphorically akin to tumbling through Lewis Carroll's literary rabbit hole and finding oneself, magically, within Alice's storied Wonderland. Beneath light-filled surfaces transformed by scarlet, aqua, emerald green, amythyst, and topaz palettes fairly crackling with the dynamic merger of fractured lines and colliding shapes, beyond the vibrant jewel-toned hues and overlapping forms, lies a kaleidoscopic vision overrun by a proliferation of biomorphic shapes and organic forms that seem to have no beginning and no end, no up, no down, no top, no bottom.
However, peer intently into a canvas and you will slowly realize that Villamil's dazzling tours de force of vibrant color and kinetic line, while initially a confounding feast for the eye, optically resolves into a carefully constructed motif that firmly anchors the artist's dizzying array of tiny components to deepest space. For Villamil joyously embraces Europe's greatest art historical traditions of figuration, full length and truncated, frontal and profile, single and conjoined, alternately composing lovely recumbent nudes, preening women with fans, fashionable damas (Ladies) adorned with fantastical chapeaux, and mothers tending babes. The artist poignantly reveals in conversation that he draws inspiration from the women of his own family, and gently confides that each work is a soulful, perhaps even meditative, reflection on a family member held dear. Thus is each painting imbued with deeply personal content.
Finally, it must be pointed out that although Villamil left Havana a number of years ago, and now resides in Miami, the cultural roots of his native homeland profoundly affect his art. Indeed, Villamil embraces Cuban Vanguardia masters, acknowledging the influence of Cundo Bermudez, Rene Portocarrero, Amelia Palaez, and Wifredo Lam, among others. Yet individual stylistic homages do not dominate his work, which remains uniquely imaginative and deeply inventive. Nor does Villamil deny his deep respect for European Modern masters, like Picasso and Klee, from whose artistic legacies -- respectively the multiple points of view of Cubism and the mosaic-like patterns of Surrealism -- he also draws inspiration. Rather, Villamil's visual idioms are born of a rich artistic vocabulary of his own devise that infuses his work with creative vigor and stylistic authority, and elevates it to a masterful level of artistic expression.
By Denise M. Gerson, Former Associate Director, Curator, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami.
First noticed and now represented by art dealer Aldo Castillo, Fredy Villamil's dazzling paintings synthesize figuration, abstraction, line, form, and color with an artistic mastery that belies his youthful hand. Born in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, in 1980, as a child Villamil received art lessons from his father, Francis M. Villamil, a painter and teacher of fine arts in Havana. Formal study followed at the EVA (Cuba’s Vocational School of Art) and at La Quinta de los Molinos, both in Havana. Since he was a child, Villamil was drawn to Havana’s House of Culture (Casa de Cultura), where he widened his artistic circle, meeting and engaging with emerging and established artists, many of whom, including Ruben Suarez Quidiello, Angel Boligan, Nuez Jose M. Delarr, Heriberto Mora, José Luis Posada, and Eberto Escobedo are today renowned among collectors, museums, and cultural institutions.
Artistic training aside, Villamil considers himself, at heart, self-taught, and indeed, his work is born of elements that resist instruction -- intuition, emotional connection, and memory -- the stuff of personal artistic vision. The last of these influences, memory, is a potent vestige of the diaspora experience that took the painter on an artistic and personal journey within a span of many years from Havana to Mexico to Spain, and in 2010 led him to emigrate to the United States. Along the way Villamil exhibited to acclaim in Mexico, USA, Turkey, Costa Rica, Iran, India, China, Japan, and Azerbaijan, amassing a trove of international awards and honors that recognize and acknowledge his original contributions to contemporary visual art.
Gazing into Villamil's paintings is metaphorically akin to tumbling through Lewis Carroll's literary rabbit hole and finding oneself, magically, within Alice's storied Wonderland. Beneath light-filled surfaces transformed by scarlet, aqua, emerald green, amythyst, and topaz palettes fairly crackling with the dynamic merger of fractured lines and colliding shapes, beyond the vibrant jewel-toned hues and overlapping forms, lies a kaleidoscopic vision overrun by a proliferation of biomorphic shapes and organic forms that seem to have no beginning and no end, no up, no down, no top, no bottom.
However, peer intently into a canvas and you will slowly realize that Villamil's dazzling tours de force of vibrant color and kinetic line, while initially a confounding feast for the eye, optically resolves into a carefully constructed motif that firmly anchors the artist's dizzying array of tiny components to deepest space. For Villamil joyously embraces Europe's greatest art historical traditions of figuration, full length and truncated, frontal and profile, single and conjoined, alternately composing lovely recumbent nudes, preening women with fans, fashionable damas (Ladies) adorned with fantastical chapeaux, and mothers tending babes. The artist poignantly reveals in conversation that he draws inspiration from the women of his own family, and gently confides that each work is a soulful, perhaps even meditative, reflection on a family member held dear. Thus is each painting imbued with deeply personal content.
Finally, it must be pointed out that although Villamil left Havana a number of years ago, and now resides in Miami, the cultural roots of his native homeland profoundly affect his art. Indeed, Villamil embraces Cuban Vanguardia masters, acknowledging the influence of Cundo Bermudez, Rene Portocarrero, Amelia Palaez, and Wifredo Lam, among others. Yet individual stylistic homages do not dominate his work, which remains uniquely imaginative and deeply inventive. Nor does Villamil deny his deep respect for European Modern masters, like Picasso and Klee, from whose artistic legacies -- respectively the multiple points of view of Cubism and the mosaic-like patterns of Surrealism -- he also draws inspiration. Rather, Villamil's visual idioms are born of a rich artistic vocabulary of his own devise that infuses his work with creative vigor and stylistic authority, and elevates it to a masterful level of artistic expression.
Born in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, 1980. Fredy Villamil has become one of the most important representatives of the Cuban plastic arts today. Painter and cartoonist, self-taught, his art takes us to a unique world of emotions and memories. His work leads to the robustness of the design, ease of expression and diversity of colors. At his young age has made 22 solo exhibitions and 61 collective in Cuba and abroad. His work has been exhibited in Mexico, USA, Turkey, Costa Rica, Iran, China, Japan, Azerbaijan, gaining 21 international awards and 23 national awards, including the Special Prize awarded by the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba by all of his work. Emigrated to America in 2010, and motivated by the experience of living abroad, his art takes on another dimension, inspiring a combination of nostalgia and reflection that immerses us in allegorical metaphors of time and the human condition. His work has not been a day efforts, it has formed a generation and synthesizes a broad process of learning and creating a perpetual mobile, is therefore a statement of principles: sharing wisdom deserves and multiply devotion and gratitude, especially if our works survive the time, death and pain, and fill us with the substance of light that radiates life.
"Fredy Villamil transports composes atmospheres extracted from anxiety or despair turbulent drama. His work leads to the robustness of the design, ease of expression and the sobriety of colors. Just this is enough to express the most varied human feelings. In their forms they sense the cries and tears of Munch, Paul Klee and Ernest Barlach, pioneers of expressionism, but with a real personal touch that only takes the outward appearance of things to distort or intensify and show spirituality and emotional experiences that bring us ""
"Fredy Villamil transports composes atmospheres extracted from anxiety or despair turbulent drama. His work leads to the robustness of the design, ease of expression and the sobriety of colors. Just this is enough to express the most varied human feelings. In their forms they sense the cries and tears of Munch, Paul Klee and Ernest Barlach, pioneers of expressionism, but with a real personal touch that only takes the outward appearance of things to distort or intensify and show spirituality and emotional experiences that bring us ""
AWARDS AND EXHIBITIONS
· Honorable Mention. International Event, Festival of International Economics, Trento (Italy)
· Prize: False Mirror Gallery. XII International Graphic Humor Event Zielona Gora Poland HONORABLE MENTION 2010
· 2 P.C. Memorial International at Web Cartoon Rath Contest -2010 Bolangir, India.
· III Place: Bronze Medal. 3rd "Molla Nasreddin-Azerbaijan 2010" International Cartoon Contest.
· First Prize in Political Satire IV Magazine "NOSOROG" Graphic Humor 2010 Special Event in Cartoon International Mention RS EUROPE BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA.
· 1st Award in Cartoon to work without title. XI National Exhibition of humor and satire. 2010 Museum of Humor San Antonio de los Banos / HAVANA, CUBA.
· Mention of the cartoon-YELLOW HOUSE IN VINCENTMENCIÓN political satire.
· The 3rd Price Competition VINCENT IN COFFEE NIGHT (Web Exhibition) of a strips Cartoons, Comics and Short Paracin, SERBIA, IV KIKS
Zikison 2009
· Special Recognition in The First International Cartoon Contest: What are your three most dangerous questions? 2009. First Mexico Award in
Painting.
· EVENT "reflection of a city," San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, September 25, 2009
· Honorable Mention. UMO - 5 contest'09 of international graphic humor. India
· First Prize in the category of Humor General. V International Exhibition Limeira September/2009, Brasil.
· Award in Graphic Humor. National Hall "Coven," July 9, 2009, Ciudad de La Habana.
· XVI International Biennial of Graphic Humor, 2009 MUSEUM OF HUMOR / San Antonio de los Banos / HAVANA CUBA.
· Joint Award given by the-works UNEAC. Award "Palmares" to work: “Control of the Ball”
· 2nd place in photography to work: Cross First Prize in fiction and political satire work: S / T. I National Exhibition "The Loquito" San Antonio de los
Baños, Havana, Cuba, General Humor septiembre/2008.
· Mention in the work: The Dance Prize in Graphic Humor Exhibition
· Honorable Mention National Coven. Havana, Cuba, Julio/2008.X National Exhibition of Graphic Humor. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, Cuba, the
weekly abril/2008.
· Prize Palante the Joint Political Humor works General Humor Mention to work: S / T.XIX National Exhibition of Personal Caricature of John David.
Humor Museum , San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba, December/2008.
· Mention of the work: S. Prize Freud. Third illustration work: S / T. Cucalambeana Day. Havana, February/2006.
· Prize (AHS) in Humor General to work: in memoriam Villamil XV International Biennial of Humor. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, Cuba, 2007.
Minor in Political Humor at work: Covenant of the Joint order.
· Mention works Mirta Cerra Room XVII. UNEAC headquarters, Bejucal, Havana, Cuba, 2007.
· Recognition as a cartoonist. International Tourism Fair. Morro-Cabaña Complex. Havana, Cuba.
· Prize to work: The willow in the Tenth Day canal.2003 Illustrated. Havana, the Joint Cuba
· Mention works. IX National Hall of Humor and Satire, Humor Museum, San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba, Joint Special 2006.
· Mention works: Defense and shouted to the Paz. IV Hall January 28, 2006, Cattle Art Center, Havana, Cuba.
· Award of work: S / T.Jornada of the Tenth Illustrated. Havana, Cuba
· 3rd Award for work: Dad. Award "fifteen" to work: Dad. XVII National Cartoon Lounge Personal Juan David. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana,
Cuba, diciembre/2006.
· Prize to work: The Tenth Day of Canal Illustrated. Havana, Cuba, 2004.
· Prize painting to work: S / T. Provincial Exhibition II Instructors. La Burrow, Havana, Cuba, 2002.
· 1st Award to work: S / Popular Art Fair Quivicán, Havana, Cuba, 2002.
· Recognition Ariguanabense. By Culture Week to be a representative figure of the culture of the region, for their input and keep alive the historical
memory. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, performing stenography in the theater of San Antonio de los Baños. Havana,
· Recognition CubaCarta Music Festival VI Cine Casino San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba
· Recognition of Cuban Cultural Fund subsidiary granted the Havana Province to Fredy Villamil Presented by works in my Havana VI elegant room.
· Honorable Mention. International Event, Festival of International Economics, Trento (Italy)
· Prize: False Mirror Gallery. XII International Graphic Humor Event Zielona Gora Poland HONORABLE MENTION 2010
· 2 P.C. Memorial International at Web Cartoon Rath Contest -2010 Bolangir, India.
· III Place: Bronze Medal. 3rd "Molla Nasreddin-Azerbaijan 2010" International Cartoon Contest.
· First Prize in Political Satire IV Magazine "NOSOROG" Graphic Humor 2010 Special Event in Cartoon International Mention RS EUROPE BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA.
· 1st Award in Cartoon to work without title. XI National Exhibition of humor and satire. 2010 Museum of Humor San Antonio de los Banos / HAVANA, CUBA.
· Mention of the cartoon-YELLOW HOUSE IN VINCENTMENCIÓN political satire.
· The 3rd Price Competition VINCENT IN COFFEE NIGHT (Web Exhibition) of a strips Cartoons, Comics and Short Paracin, SERBIA, IV KIKS
Zikison 2009
· Special Recognition in The First International Cartoon Contest: What are your three most dangerous questions? 2009. First Mexico Award in
Painting.
· EVENT "reflection of a city," San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, September 25, 2009
· Honorable Mention. UMO - 5 contest'09 of international graphic humor. India
· First Prize in the category of Humor General. V International Exhibition Limeira September/2009, Brasil.
· Award in Graphic Humor. National Hall "Coven," July 9, 2009, Ciudad de La Habana.
· XVI International Biennial of Graphic Humor, 2009 MUSEUM OF HUMOR / San Antonio de los Banos / HAVANA CUBA.
· Joint Award given by the-works UNEAC. Award "Palmares" to work: “Control of the Ball”
· 2nd place in photography to work: Cross First Prize in fiction and political satire work: S / T. I National Exhibition "The Loquito" San Antonio de los
Baños, Havana, Cuba, General Humor septiembre/2008.
· Mention in the work: The Dance Prize in Graphic Humor Exhibition
· Honorable Mention National Coven. Havana, Cuba, Julio/2008.X National Exhibition of Graphic Humor. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, Cuba, the
weekly abril/2008.
· Prize Palante the Joint Political Humor works General Humor Mention to work: S / T.XIX National Exhibition of Personal Caricature of John David.
Humor Museum , San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba, December/2008.
· Mention of the work: S. Prize Freud. Third illustration work: S / T. Cucalambeana Day. Havana, February/2006.
· Prize (AHS) in Humor General to work: in memoriam Villamil XV International Biennial of Humor. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, Cuba, 2007.
Minor in Political Humor at work: Covenant of the Joint order.
· Mention works Mirta Cerra Room XVII. UNEAC headquarters, Bejucal, Havana, Cuba, 2007.
· Recognition as a cartoonist. International Tourism Fair. Morro-Cabaña Complex. Havana, Cuba.
· Prize to work: The willow in the Tenth Day canal.2003 Illustrated. Havana, the Joint Cuba
· Mention works. IX National Hall of Humor and Satire, Humor Museum, San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba, Joint Special 2006.
· Mention works: Defense and shouted to the Paz. IV Hall January 28, 2006, Cattle Art Center, Havana, Cuba.
· Award of work: S / T.Jornada of the Tenth Illustrated. Havana, Cuba
· 3rd Award for work: Dad. Award "fifteen" to work: Dad. XVII National Cartoon Lounge Personal Juan David. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana,
Cuba, diciembre/2006.
· Prize to work: The Tenth Day of Canal Illustrated. Havana, Cuba, 2004.
· Prize painting to work: S / T. Provincial Exhibition II Instructors. La Burrow, Havana, Cuba, 2002.
· 1st Award to work: S / Popular Art Fair Quivicán, Havana, Cuba, 2002.
· Recognition Ariguanabense. By Culture Week to be a representative figure of the culture of the region, for their input and keep alive the historical
memory. San Antonio de los Baños, Havana, performing stenography in the theater of San Antonio de los Baños. Havana,
· Recognition CubaCarta Music Festival VI Cine Casino San Antonio de los Baños. Havana, Cuba
· Recognition of Cuban Cultural Fund subsidiary granted the Havana Province to Fredy Villamil Presented by works in my Havana VI elegant room.