Loló Soldevilla

"LOLÓ SOLDEVILLA"; Dolores Soldevilla Nieto (Pinar del Río, Cuba, 1901–Havana, 1971).
“Untitled,” 1956.
Tempera and graphite on thick cardboard.
Accompanied by a certificate issued by Ms. Martha Flora Carranza, the artist’s granddaughter.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 28 x 36 cm; 45 x 53 cm (frame).
In this work, Loló Soldevilla constructs a composition using basic geometric shapes—primarily cubes and circles—whose arrangement creates rhythm, balance, and a strong sense of movement. The precision of the individual elements is a hallmark of the work, contrasting with the dynamism of the whole and reflecting an exploration of space characteristic of her work from the 1950s. The piece dates to a decisive moment in his career, following his stay in Paris, where he encountered European geometric abstraction and the explorations of artists such as Jean Dewasne and Edgar Pillet. Upon his return to Cuba in 1956, Soldevilla assimilated these influences and transformed them into his own artistic language, playing an active role in the renewal of Cuban art. In 1956, he organized a major international exhibition of abstract art at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Havana, and in 1957, he became a member of the Group of Ten Concrete Painters, thus demonstrating the extent to which Soldevilla was not only an artist dedicated to her own work but also an active figure in the introduction and dissemination of new artistic languages in Cuba during the 1950s.
Loló Soldevilla was a key figure in Cuban geometric abstraction and one of the main driving forces behind its renewal during the 1950s. After beginning her career in Cuba, she moved to Paris in 1949, where she furthered her training at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and worked in the studios of Jean Dewasne and Edgar Pillet. Upon her return to Cuba in 1956, she organized a major international exhibition of abstract art at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Havana. In 1957, she helped found the Group of Ten Concrete Painters. Her work has been featured in exhibitions in Cuba, France, Venezuela, Spain, and other countries, and is included in major collections, such as those of the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, as well as numerous international collections.