Juan Orlando Torres Martínez

Plastic artist, master of generations of painters from Villa Clara. His work is the foundation of plastic arts in the central region of the country, recognized for the exquisiteness of his creations. A tireless pedagogue, he was a formative force for diverse generations of creators whom he educated not only through his wisdom, but also through his ethical and human values.

Juan Orlando Torres Martínez graduated in drawing, painting and sculpture from the San Alejandro school, founded the School of Plastic Arts of Las Villas Leopoldo Romanach and was part of the group of intellectuals that constituted the Uneac in the central region of Cuba; for 12 years he presided over the Advisory Council for the Development of Monumental Sculpture (CODEMA).

For more than 40 years he dedicated himself to training generations of artists from Villa Clara, alongside his academy colleagues Georgina Uriarte, Adela María Suárez, Rafael Alemán Ruiz and Arnaldo Sarduy Guedes, who gave part of their lives to the school of plastic arts in the center of the island, founded on August 16, 1946.

As for collective exhibitions, he participated in the III National Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture (1945); Provincial Salon 26 de Julio in the years 1959, 1970, 1971 and 1975; Uneac Plastic Arts Salon (1984), as well as the Eco-Art Exhibition, Santa Clara (1999) and the II and IX Provincial Salon of Plastic Arts in the years 1973 and 1979.

Throughout his career he received diverse awards and decorations, among which stand out the Distinction for National Culture, Raúl Gómez García Order, National Order 25 years in Education and the Certificate for 30 years in the cultural sector.

Among his personal exhibitions, the Portraits exhibition stands out, in Brevard, North Carolina, United States of America, in 1981; Collection of portraits of Juan Marinello, Santa Clara, 1982; Expo Museum of Decorative Arts, 1984, and the Contest The Illustrated Tenth, in 1990. He participated in collective exhibitions, in the III National Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture (1945); Provincial Salon 26 de Julio in the years 1959, 1970, 1971 and 1975; Uneac Plastic Arts Salon (1984), as well as the Eco-Art Exhibition, Santa Clara (1999) and the II and IX Provincial Salon of Plastic Arts in the years 1973 and 1979.