Agustín Cárdenas Alfonso

He was born in Matanzas, a Cuban painter and sculptor who developed his most significant work in Europe. His work is recognized internationally. He held individual and collective exhibitions, receiving several awards for his work. France has proclaimed him as one of the 10 greatest sculptors of the 20th Century.

A native of the town of Recreo, now Máximo Gómez, municipality of Perico, Province of Matanzas, Cuba. He came from a humble family, was the son of América Alfonso and cousin of the prominent revolutionary fighter Fernando Alfonso Torice (Moruita). He was a sports enthusiast, enjoyed sporting events and in his youth, in his free time, he practiced weightlifting and athletics.

He studied from 1943 at the National School of Fine Arts "San Alejandro", Havana, Cuba and graduated in 1949. He was an outstanding student of Juan José Sicre and Jesús Casagrán. As a first-year student at San Alejandro he participated in the collective exhibition "Presence of Six Sculptors". From his earliest

From 1951 to 1955 he was a member of the Association of Engravers of Cuba (AGC), Havana. From 1953 to 1955 he was a member of the Group "Los Once", Havana, Cuba. In 1955 he obtained a scholarship to study in Paris and there his most creative period took place and in which he established himself as a professional.

In 1957 he joined the Surrealist Movement, Paris, France and in 1965 he achieved the Paris Biennial Prize in 1965.

He worked with different materials to design his sculptures which are divided into three fundamental stages of his work: in the first he worked with wood, followed by marble, granite and basalt, and in the third he worked fundamentally with bronze.

He obtained in 1995 the National Prize for Plastic Arts in Havana. Some of his works are located in important places around the world.

Personal Exhibitions
Among his most significant personal exhibitions we can mention In 1952 "Painting Ávila Sculpture Cárdenas". Palace of the Workers, Havana, Cuba.

Ten years later in 1962 he presented at the Richard Feigen Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA and at the Galerie Du Dragon, Paris, France.

In 1971 "Cárdenas", Galleria Lorenzelli, Bergamo, Italy.

In 1987 he exhibited his works at Corea Gallery, Seoul, Korea.

In the year 1993 "Agustín Cárdenas" was inaugurated. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.

In 2002 "Desires and Grace" Haim Chanin Fine Arts, New York, USA.

Group Exhibitions
He participated in multiple group exhibitions including: In 1950 IV National Exhibition of Painting, Sculpture and Engraving. Asturian Center, Havana, Cuba.

In 1961 IIème Biennale de Paris. Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

In the year 1965 he participates in International Biennial. Tokyo, Japan.

In the year 2000 "Tone to Tone". Abstract Art Exhibition. Hall of Solidarity, Hotel Habana Libre Tryp, Havana, Cuba.

Awards
Among the awards and honors achieved during his career are those received in 1953 Second Prize. VI National Salon of Painting and Sculpture, National Capitol Halls, Havana, Cuba.

In 1955 he was awarded the Silver Medal. XXXVII Fine Arts Salon. Fine Arts Circle, Havana, Cuba.

In 1976 National Order of Arts and Letters, France and the Fujisankey Biennial Prize, Hakone Open Air Museum, Fujisankey, Japan.

In the year 1995 he was named National Prize for Plastic Arts. Ministry of Culture, Cuba.

He died in Havana at the age of 74.

Work in Collection
His work is part of important collections around the world. In France it is found in the CNAC, Paris, the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie, Saint Etienne, France. It is also found in the Hakone Open Air Museum, Hakone, Japan. In the Musée d'Art Contemporain, Algiers, Algeria, in the Musée d'Art Contemporain, Montreal, Canada, in the Musée d'Art Moderne, Tel Aviv, Israel.

In the American continent his works can be found in the Museum of Fine Arts, Caracas, Venezuela, and the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.

Exhibitions
1954 Havana, in the Contemporary Plastic Salon.
1956 Paris, in Gallery L´Etoile Scellèe,. Galerie Suzanne de Connink and in the Salon de la Jeune Sculpture.
1957 Paris, in Homage of Sculpture to Brancusi, Galerie Suzanne de Connink and in the Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Realites Nouvelles.
1959 Paris, Five Young Sculptors of the School, International Surrealism Exhibition, Galerie Daniel Cordier; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Realites Nouvelles and in the Salon de Mai.
1960 Paris, One Hundred Sculptors from Daumier to Today. Saint Etienne Museum. Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Realites Nouvelles. Salon de Mai.
1961 Paris, in Contemporary Cuban Art. Gallerie du Dragon, Salon de la Jeune Sculpture Realites Nouvelles. Salon de Mai, New York, International Surrealism Exhibition. D´Arcy Gallery. 1962 London, at the Hannover Gallery, Sculptors of Today. Galeríe Blumenthal, The Object. Museum of Decorative Arts, Half a Century of Sculpture, Gallery du Cercle.
1963 Paris Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Realites Nouvelles. Salon de Mai, Exhibition of Latin American Art. National Museum of Modern Art.
1964 Paris, Montparnasse Haute. Margarete Lauter Gallery, Mannheim; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture, Realites Nouvelles. Salon de Mai. Exhibition of Latin American Art. National Museum of Modern Art.
1965 Tokyo, International Biennial, Paris, Biennial of Sculpture, Antwerp. Babel 65. National Museum of Modern Art International Surrealism Exhibition. Galerie de l´Oeil, Le Main. Galerie Claude Bernard; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai, Exhibition of Latin American Art. National Museum of Modern Art.
1966 Paris, One Sculptor and Nine Cuban Painters. Galerie Saint Saint Germain; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai, School of Paris, Frankfurt.
1967 Italy, Biennial of Carrara, Paris, The Garden of Sculpture. Relais de Vaux-de-Cernag-Yvelines; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai.
1968 Paris, Surrealist Exhibition "Princip slati", Czechoslovakia; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai.
1969 Italy, Biennial of Carrara. Paris, Avignon Festival Biennial of Sculpture, Antwerp. After Rodin. Museum of Saint-Germain en Laye; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai.
1970 Rouen, Sculpture in the City, Rome, Sculpture in Open Air. Macon, Vision 24, Eighth Biennial, Menton. Surrealism? Modern Museum, Stockholm; Salon de la Jeune Sculpture; Salon de Mai.
1976 Madrid, in the exhibition: Forms in Space; Galería Theo.
1980 Japan, Collective Exhibition.
1985 Paris, FIAC. Tarbes, France, Homage to Alicia Penalba.
1986 Collioure, France, International Exhibition of Contemporary Sculpture.
1987 England, Yorkshire Open Air Museum.
1988 Paris, Around Edouard Glissant. Galerie du Dragon.
1989 Italy, Sculpture. Carrara and Pietrasanta, Caracas Galería Durban; Paris, Salon de Mars.
1990 Paris, J.G.M. Galerie; Salon de Mars, Venezuela, Figuration, Fabulation. Museum of Fine Arts of Caracas.
1992 Paris, J.G.M. Galerie.
1993 Miami, IAM.
1996 Havana, The Magic of Volume. House of the Americas.