BIO
Roger Toledo was born in Camagüey, Cuba, in 1986. From early stages, he showed vocation and skills for drawing and painting leading him to study at the Vicentina de la Torre Academy of Arts graduating in 2005. That same year, he is accepted at the University of the Arts of Havana (ISA) where he finished his studies in Visual Arts in 2011 in the specialty of painting. During his years at the institution he develops a diverse artistic production that conducts him to consolidate a particular expressive line. His thesis diploma Days at the Museum is considered the highlight of his pursuits as a student and the start of a promising career.
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Once graduated, he stayed at the University of the Arts as a professor at the Painting Department. In addition to teaching Criticism as a subject matter, he qualified to create his own Painting class until 2017. In 2012, he started collaborating with the Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, developing professional ties still existing nowadays.
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In 2014 he was accepted into Yaddo, a very prestigious artists retreat located in Saratoga Springs, upstate New York. By Toledo´s own words “these were some months of intense introspection moments, which outside of my comfort area, managed to deeply restructure the way of understanding my creative processes”. Since then, his work has been constantly evolving and diversifying. In 2015, he participated in the Studio 1606 art residence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, conceived for him by collector friends. There he explored landscape painting, a genre that he would develop in his future work.
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In 2018 Toledo collaborates with UPENN Professor of Art History Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw in the Curatorial Practices seminar instructed by her, resulting in the presentation of the personal exhibition Soy Cuba / I´m Cuba, the contemporary landscapes of Roger Toledo at the Arthur Ross Gallery at such university.
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His work, despite its versatility, maintains a strong coherence thanks to two constant elements throughout his production: the pattern (a simple geometric element used to segment the space) and color. Roger explores in his paintings conceptions about the image and its conformation, with recurring references to the universal and Cuban pictorial tradition. In his most recent series he delves into a more social speech, stating his perception of the current feeling of a Cuba amidst changes and uncertainties. His work is found in numerous private collections in Europe, Latin America and the United States. Currently, he lives and works between Cuba and Mexico.
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Education
2011 Graduated from the University of the Arts (ISA) in painting.
2005 Graduated from Vicentina de la Torre Art Academy in painting, Camagüey.
Pedagogical Activities
2011–2017 Professor of Painting and Art Criticism at the University of the Arts (ISA).
2009–2011 Assistant teacher of the Painting Department at the University of the Arts (ISA).
2005–2006 Teacher of Visual Arts Appreciation, Elementary School of Arts of Camagüey.
Residencies
2015 Studio 1606, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2014 Yaddo Artists´Retreat, Saratoga Springs, New York.
Talks and Presentations
2019 Recent Work; insertion in the contemporary visual arts in Cuba. Arthur Ross Gallery of UPENN, Philladephia.
2015 Educational System at the University of Arts (ISA), SVA, NY.
2012 Panel about Abstract Cuban Art. Villa Manuela Gallery, UNEAC, Havana.
2011 Días en el Museo (Days at the Museum). Thesis showcase and defense for degree from the University of the Arts. National Fine Arts Museum, building of Cuban Art, Havana.
2010 70th Inventory. Ludwig Foundation of Cuba.
Solo Exhibitions
2020 Paisaje, Color y Patrón (Landscape, Color and Pattern). Centro Hispanoamericano de Cultura, Havana.
2019 Soy Cuba / I´m Cuba, the contemporary landscapes of Roger Toledo. Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, Philladephia.
2017 Estructuras Graduales (Gradual Structures). Ludwig Foundation of Cuba,Havana.
2016 Landscaping o Modificación del paisaje (Landscaping). Galiano Gallery, Havana.
2015 1606. Studio 1606, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
2012 Días en el Museo (Days at the Museum). Provincial Visual Arts Council, Camagüey.
2005 Dimensión Fractal (Fractal Dimension). Graduation thesis from Vicentina de la Torre Art Academy, Camagüey.
2004 De Caos a Danza (From Chaos to Dance). Collateral to the XX Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León. Theater room of Vicentina de la Torre Art Academy, Camagüey.
Group Exhibitions
2017 Post-it 4. Contemporary Art Salon, Collage Habana Gallery, Havana.
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2016
100 años de ArteAbstracto (100 Years of Abstract Art). Collection of galleries, Camagüey.
Arigato. Gorría Gallery, Havana.
Rompiendo el Mito (Breaking the Myth). ArtePorFugaz Gallery, El Callao, Perú.
Art(xiomas) Cuba Ahora: the next generation. Art Museum of the Americas, Washington DC, USA.
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2015
Art(xiomas). Centro Cultural Español, Miami, USA.
Con lentes de contacto (With contact lens). Collateral Exhibition of the 12th Havana Biennial, University of the Arts (ISA).
2009DERIVA2013. Collateral Exhibition of the 12th Havana Biennial, Pabellón Cuba.
Memoria (Memory). Collateral Exhibition of the 12th Havana Biennial, J12 Dome, La Cabaña.
Encuentros(Encounters). Collateral Exhibition of the 12th Havana Biennial, El Templete Restaurant.
Entre páginas (Between Pages). Collateral Exhibition of the XXIV Internacional Book Fair 2015, Pabellón Cuba.
Cómo te cuento mi historia (How can I tell you my story). Círculo de Arte Cubano (CAC), Havana.
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2014
Círculo (Circle). Círculo de Arte Cubano (CAC), Havana.
One Stop. Match Museum, Jönköping, Sweden.
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2013 Visitante (Visitor). Spanish Embassy in Cuba, Havana.
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2012
Trans_Late. Collateral to Zona Ibsen, Casona de Línea, Havana.
Eva advierte sobre las manzanas (Eva warnsoftheapples). 23 y 12 Cinema, Havana.
Havana Open House. Collateral Exhibition of the 11th Havana Biennial.
032. Karl Marx theater, Havana.
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2011 Las puntas de la rosa (The tips of the rose). Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana,
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2010
ExIndumentis. CarmeloChurch, Havana.
El extremo de la bala. Una década de Arte Cubano (The end of the bullet. A decade of Cuban Art). Pabellón Cuba, Havana.
Quinto Día (Fith day). Carmelo Church, Havana.
Van Gogh´s boat. VillenaGallery, UNEAC, Havana.
13º Salón de Premiados (13th Awarded Salon). Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana.
Bingo. Havana Channel.
Esporas (Spores). Pabellón Cuba, Havana.
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2009
XXV Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León(XXV Provincial Salonof Visual ArtsFidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
Cambio y fuera (Change and out). Collateral Exhibition of the 10th Havana Biennial. Gallery of the Visual Arts Faculty, University of the Arts (ISA).
See Clear. Collateral Exhibition of the 10thHavana Biennial.3rd Dome, Visual Arts Faculty, University of the Arts (ISA).
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2008 2/5. Gallery of the Visual Arts Faculty, University of the Arts (ISA).
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2007 1/5. Gallery of the Visual Arts Faculty, University of the Arts (ISA).
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2006
XXII Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León (XXII Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
Primer Salón Provincial de Pequeño Formato (1st Provincial Salonof Small Format). Proyecto EJO Gallery, Camagüey.
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2005
XXI Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León (XXI Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
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2004
XX Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León (XX Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
10º Salón de Premiados (10th Awarded Salon). Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana.
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2003
XIX Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León (XIX Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
9º Salón de Premiados (9th Awarded Salon). Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana.
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2002
XVIII Salón Provincial de Artes Plásticas Fidelio Ponce de León (XVIII Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León). Provincial Visual Arts Center, Camagüey.
2001 Primer Salón Provincial de Estudiantes (1st Provincial Students Salon). Alejo Carpentier Gallery, Camagüey.
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Grant and Awards
2014 The Plumsock Residency. Corporation of Yaddo, New York.
2009 Premio Único (Only Award). XXV Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León, Camagüey.
2006 Premio (Award). XXII Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León, Camagüey.
2005 2º Premio (2nd Award). XXI Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León, Camagüey.
2004 3º Premio (3rd Award). XX Provincial Salon of Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León, Camagüey.
2002 2º Premio (2nd Award). XVIII Provincial Salonof Visual Arts Fidelio Ponce de León, Camagüey.