Zaida del Río

She was born in Guadalupe, Las Villas, Cuba. Painter, draftsperson, engraver. She appeared on the Cuban plastic arts scene in the 1970s. She is recognized as one of the key figures of contemporary Cuban art.

She began her artistic studies at the Provincial School of Art in Cienfuegos in 1960. In 1971, she entered the National School of Art (ENA) in Havana, until 1974. There she received classes from prestigious artists such as Tomás Sánchez, Luis Miguel Valdés, Nelson Domínguez, Ernesto García Peña, López Oliva; among many others.

From 1982 to 1987, she studied at the Superior Institute of Art (ISA). This period includes her first individual exhibitions. Between 1976 and 1988 she exhibited on more than 18 occasions in Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Havana. Her graduation thesis dealt with engraving in illustration, and the practical part consisted of illustrating a book by Miguel Barnet titled Mapa del tiempo.

She also graduated from the School of Fine Arts in Paris (L'Ecole des Beaux Arts). She later worked as a professor of engraving at the Vocational School of Arts in Santa Clara. Years later, she served as a drawing professor at the Elementary School of Art "20 de Octubre".

Several periods are recognized in Zaida's painting. The first was the countryside with its tobacco houses, children, and landscape.

Then came the horses: Horse Disease. Next came the circus and its picturesque characters. Then came the bird-women. Next came the triptychs on Afro-Cuban religion. Later came the peacocks; and finally "The Cosmic Dance of Shiva" (2010) in which the artist, moved by Hindu philosophy, expresses the great passion that this Eastern culture inspires in her.

1971- Graduated from the Provincial School of Plastic Arts, Cienfuegos.
1974- Graduated from the National School of Art, Havana.
1987- Graduated from the Superior Institute of Art, Havana.
1989- Postgraduate degree from Ecole Beaux Arts, Paris, France.

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS:
1975- Award. Engraving. Salon of Art Teachers and Instructors, Havana
1976- Mention. Linocut, National Engraving Salon, Havana
1979- Award. Drawing. National Salon of Plastic Arts UNEAC, Havana.
1980- First Mention. Engraving. National Salon of Plastic Arts UNEAC
1981- Award. Drawing. National Salon Girón, Havana
1982- Mention. Drawing. National Salon of Plastic Arts UNEAC, Havana
1984- Award. Lithography. Engraving Encounter, Havana/Award. Drawing. La Rosa Roja Award. Illustration for Children's Books. UNEAC Salon/Award. International Joan Miró Drawing Competition, Barcelona, Spain.
1987- Mention. La Joven Estampa Award, Casa de las Américas, Havana/- Critics' Award. National Engraving Encounter, Havana/- Mention. UNEAC Salon, Havana.
1993- Award. Painting and Gold Medal. Cairo Biennial, Egypt
1997- Award. Tenri Biennial, Japan/- Fasonable Competition. French Men's Fashion Firm, Panama
1997/2001- Award. W.S.P. Wine Competition, Havana.

MAIN EXHIBITIONS:
1976- "Zaida Del Río". Gallery L, Havana
1978 "Narratives". National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana.
1981- "Sketches of Our Countryside". National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1982- "Engravings and Drawings". Angora Gallery, Fonapas, Tabasco, Mexico/ "Horse Disease". Galería Habana, Havana
1984- "Of Everything and Smoke: Illustrations". Plaza Vieja Gallery, Havana
1985- "Conversations". Galería Habana
1987- "Popular Prayers". Palace of the Captains General, Havana/- "Profiles". National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana/- "Faces and Birds". Galería Habana
1988- "Hunches". Wifredo Lam Center Gallery, Havana
1989- "The Sign of the Angel". International Graphics Center, Rome, Italy/- "Dreams of Barcelona in the Death of Dalí". Gallery G, Barcelona, Spain/ "Feeding the Skin". Bermanos Gallery, Paris, France/- "About Love". Bordeaux, France/- "Recent Works". Ninart Gallery, Mexico City/ "Another Branch to the Fire". Castle of the Royal Force, Havana.
1992- "Sayings of the Register". Evasion Gallery, Sao Paulo, Brazil/- "The Crescent Moon". Acacia Gallery, Havana
1993- "Drawings". Via Larga Gallery, Florence, Italy
1994- "Cuban Cultural Day". Martinique
1995- "Spring Collection". Hotel Inglaterra, Havana
1996- "And Why Me". Studio Gallery Los Oficios, Havana
1997- "Crystal Heart". Acacia Gallery, Havana/- "The Enchanted Land". University of Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain/- "Arab Passion". Arab Union Gallery of Cuba, Havana/- "Drawings and Paintings". Promo-Arte Gallery, Tokyo, Japan/- "Paintings". Contemporary Space, Sapporo-Hokaido, Japan/- "Drawings and Paintings". Shimizu-Shizuoka Gallery, Japan
1998- "Works on Paper". Aquelarre Gallery, San Pedro de Alcántara, Málaga, Spain.
2001- "Rituals" Gallery Oficio #6, Havana
2002- "Healing Houses". Acacia Gallery, Havana/- "Ephemeral Beings". Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
2006- "Queens of Hearts", National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
2010 The Cosmic Dance of Shiva, Casa del Alba, Havana, Cuba.

Zaida has collaborated with different publications among which may be mentioned:
La Nueva Gaceta, Caimán Barbudo, Alma Mater, Cuba Internacional, Letras Cubanas and Revolución y Cultura.

Among the illustrated books are: "You Already Think of Love", "Of Dew and Smoke", "8 Cuban Poets", "Map of Time", "Of Dew and Smoke", "The Enormous Summer", as well as titles from Sed de Belleza, publishing house of the AHS of V.C. exceeding fifteen titles.

She receives numerous mentions and important awards: From 1975-1978, among others; - 2nd. prize, engraving. National Salon of Teachers and Instructors of P.A. (1975). - Mention. National Engraving Salon (1976). - Award, drawing. National Salon of Plastic Arts, UNEAC'79. - First Mention, engraving. National Salon of Plastic Arts, UNEAC'80. - Award, drawing. National Salon, Playa Girón, 1981. - First Mention, drawing. National Salon of Plastic Arts, UNEAC'82. - Lithography Award. Engraving Encounter'83. - "La Rosa Blanca" Award, illustrations. Children's Literature, UNEAC'84. - Mention, "La Joven Estampa" (1987). - Critics' Award, Engraving Encounter (1987). - Mention. UNEAC Salon'87. - Award at the Cairo Biennial, Egypt, 1993. Some of her works: "Two Figures on the Bridge", "Blind Mouth", "Classical Heritage", "The Wrath of Achilles", "With the Ruins", "No One Answers But There Was Presence" "The Centaur Enjoys Himself", "Ephemeral Beings", "Double-Winged Creatures", "November Triangle", "The Knight of Paris", "Enchanted House", "Genesis", "My Friend Sun", "Habanera", "Song", "That's Life". Issues 19 and 22 of the magazine "Signos" feature the works: "Pastoral", "Myth of Camajuaní", "Peasant Love", "Nature", "The Country Girl", "Vegetations", "Cuban Landscape" "Covers for Signos".

She was part of the National Committee of the Hermanos Saíz Brigade (AHS), has been a member of UNEAC since 1979 and of the International Association of Plastic Artists (AIAP). Her works are found in the National Museum of Fine Arts and in private collections in Cuba and abroad.

In recent times she has ventured into dance based on her artwork, and is part of a group of plastic artists linked to Hotel Inglaterra in the capital of the country, a place where the work of the best exponents of Cuban plastic arts can be permanently appreciated.