Leonardo Cuervo

LEONARDO CUERVO (20th century).
"Principia", 2003, Havana.
Oil on canvas of triangular format.
Signed, dated, titled and located on the back.
Measurements: 91 x 105 cm.

Leonardo Cuervo is a realist and fantastic painter interested in exploring the human figure and its disturbing side. His work, impregnated with fantasy and esotericism, takes us away from the reality of society to explore the unreal world of our imagination and, subtly, brings us back to it. According to Artillery Magazine, "with an unusual and provocative style, Cuervo's technical mastery of realism is also exquisite."

Cuervo began his career as a printmaking student at the San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba, but was immediately drawn to the traditional techniques of oil painting. During his artistic career in Havana, he presented solo exhibitions at prestigious local institutions and participated regularly in group exhibitions. His early works are influenced by the European culture and artists of the 16th and 17th centuries. The enigmatic universe of Bruegel, the elaborate execution of Jan Van Eyck, the engravings of Rembrandt, the strange tranquility of Vermeer's interiors: his early works strive to bring all these essences together in a contemporary language, while remaining steeped in the past. The image obtained is a direct reference to the old masters, but within a system of fragmented images, impregnated with quotations, audiovisual images and chaotic information that characterize the contemporary world in which we live. As expected, this stage of Cuervo's work found a natural echo among the Belgian public during his first international solo exhibitions in Brussels in 2005. Since his arrival in the United States in 2012, Cuervo was immediately integrated into the American art scene thanks to his first solo exhibition in Beverly Hills. He was invited to present his work in the dynamic art scenes of New York and San Francisco. He has been the recipient of several American Art Awards.