Resumé

Autobiography

Alejandra and Manuel were born on November 2 and October 3, 1989, in Havana, Cuba. They studied between 2004 and 2008 at the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Art. He graduated as Summa Cum Laude while she was Valedictorian.

They participated in the CUBA-U.K Solidarity in Art exchange between the Cardinal Wiseman High School in London and the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts thanks to their academic performances. Some places like National Portrait Gallery and the British Museum influenced their future work.

Both attended the Higher Institute of Art (I.S.A.). In 2008 Alejandra began  the Specialty of Performing Arts to later change to Visual Arts in 2009 at the Faculty of Visual Arts where in turn Manuel would study in the specialty of Restoration of Movable property until graduating in 2016.

 In 2010 they participated independently in the Artefatto contest, in Trieste, Italy. They shared with artists from various parts of the world. During their visit, they became interested in restoration projects that were carried out both in works and in the city, particularly the Restoration Workshop of the Vatican Museum.

During his studies, Manuel joined the Easel Based Paintings Restoration Workshop of the Office of the Historian. This provided him with a close view to a wide range of collections and also the mentorship of senior restoration representatives o the country and the region. Later he complated many restoration for national museums.

Alejandra became a member of the artistic collective called 4ta Pragmatica, at the University. This was directed by the professor and Cuban artist René Francisco Rodríguez. His pedagogical project aimed to exit the framework of the scholastic institution in order to experiment and learn about the operation of the art world from practice, by participating in various exhibition projects characterized by being urban interventions. Among them, the exhibition in 2012 Ciudad Generosa stands out, as part of the Eleventh Havana Biennial. She graduated from the university with a gold diploma and first record of her course in 2014.

Alejandra received the exchange scholarship between the Higher Institute of Art and the Kungl. Konsthogskolan Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm in 2013. That same year, Alejandra and Manuel won drawing and painting third prize in the Art Fest @ contest at Carlos Albizu University in Miami, Florida, USA. Furthermore, they began their work as an artistic duo. Together they held various personal exhibitions in Cuba.

In 2019 they obtained a special mention at the Biennial of the Ceramic Vessel of Havana and first prize at the XXV Leopoldo Romañach National Landscape Hall in Matanzas.

Their works are in private collections in England, the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Italy, and Cuba.

Exhibitions as duo

2019 Tocatta and Fugue, Father Félix Varela Cultural Center – Havana

2018 Toast, 1st Earth Festival, National Botanic Garden, Havana, Cuba

2017 Wavelenght, Rubén Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana, Cuba

2015 Wild Flowers Barbers Alley, Callejón de los peluqueros, Havana, Cuba

2015 Think in suspensive, Ron Museum, Havana, Cuba

2013 Deverdearte,  Hispanic-American Cultural Center, Havana, Cuba

Group exhibitions

2021 Universe 8th Hall of Cuban Contemporary Art – Behart.net – Provincial Center of Plastic Arts of  Havana (CPAP) – Havana

2021 Nuclei, Provincial Center of Plastic Arts and Desing of Havana (CPAPD) – Havana

2020 XXV Leopoldo Romañach Landscape Salon, 34 Gallery – Matanzas

2020 Witches and Butterflies, Wilfredo Lam Gallery – Havana

2020 Sternotomy, Provincial Center of Plastic Arts and Desing of Havana (CPAPD) – Havana

2019 Post-it 6, Collage Havana – Havana

2019 A Troubled River, Traveling exhibition, Fondo y Forma Gallery – Santiago de Chile

2019 The Vessel – Biennal of Ceramics, House of Mexico – Havana

2019 Cuba: Identity and difference, Palazzo Ca´ Zenobio – Venice

2019 Cuba: Horizons of Utopia, Palazzo Ca´ Zenobio – Venice

2019 Zero Point¸ Collateral Biennial of Havana, Casa Ocho Gallery

2014 Art Fest@ Doral, Carlos Albizu University, Miami, Florida, EE.UU

2013 Art Fest@ Doral, Carlos Albizu University, Miami, Florida, EE.UU

2013 Cartographies of impossible, Contemporary Art Wilfredo Lam, Havana, Cuba

2012 Generous City, 11th Biennial of Havana, Havana, Cuba

2012 Profoundly Shallows, Collateral of 11th Biennial Havana, Cuba

2011 Trust, Factoría Habana, Havana, Cuba

2011 Bankrupt, Royal Bank of Canadá, Havana, Cuba

2010 Artefatto 2010, Candy World, Umberto Veruda Gallery; Giubileo Gallery, Trieste, Italy

2010 In troubled waters, Superior Art Institute, Havana, Cuba

2009 Witches and butterflies, Alba House, Havana, Cuba

2007 Tribute to the cinema, José Antonio Días Peláez Gallery, San Alejandro, Havana, Cuba

2006 Rom-Pan-Fila, José Antonio Días Peláez Gallery, Havana, Cuba

2005 Rom-Pan-Fila, José Antonio Días Peláez Gallery, Havana, Cuba

Awards and acknowledgments

2020 First Prize, XXV National Salon of Landscape Leopoldo Romañach, Art and Form Gallery – Matanzas

2019 Special mention, Biennial of La Vasija Ceramica, House of Mexico – Havana

2013 Exchange scholarship, Instituto Superior de Arte (I.S.A.) and Kungl. Konsthogskolan  Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm – Svezia

2013 Third Prize in Drawing Category, ArtFest @ Doral 2013, Carlos Albizu University – Miami,  Florida                                                                                                                            

2008 Participation in the Cuba-U.K exchange. Solidarity in Art, Cardinal Wiseman High School of London and the National Academy of Saint Alexander Fine Arts – London