Armando (Sanare 1936-Paris 2022) was born in Venezuela in 1936 and he established in Paris with his family in the late 60’s. From that moment, he recurrently traveled to Venezuela where he had an intense activity as a muralist and making many exhibitions in galleries and museums. Armando’s work is ranked as one of the most interesting and recent searches of paintings among the symbolism tendencies. Conceived in Paris, where the artist lives and work since 1968, he expressed images of universal interpretation revealed as a memory of his Venezuelan identity.
In Armando, the simultaneous presence in the canvas of the figuration and abstraction is a way to represent reality, arising from a dialog between consciousness and unconsciousness, which action allows the individuals to “show a way to defeat the melancholia of the emptiness”.
Armando’s space conception is defined as a metaphysic space, where the painter achieves to capture a stopped and frozen instant from a world of dreams. However, what really defines the pictorial production of this Venezuelan artist is his passion for the true meaning: Silhouettes, masks, landscapes, are just a few of the archetypes depicted in his paintings. The silhouettes represent in his paintings the universal woman’s image, from the fertility, the seed, the nature, and at the same time she transforms herself in the figure of the Venezuelan woman and the image of the Venezuelan land, the one that the painter from Paris hasn’t stopped to yearn.
Recent exhibition in Valencia/Venezuela curated by Julio Delgado
Biography (extracts)
1936 Born in Sanare, Venezuela. 1949/1955 Studied at the School of Fine Arts in Valencia, Venezuela.
1959/1961 Sub-director of the School of Painting in Maracay, Venezuela. 1965/1967 Professor of Painting at the School of Fine Arts in Valencia, Venezuela.
1967/1968 Director of Cultural Activities at the University of Carabobo, Venezuela.
Moved to Paris, taking courses at the Ecole du Louvre or The School of Louvre, and at the University of Vincennes, Paris. Living as well as working in Paris since 1968.
1982 XVI Gran premio Internacional de Arte Contemporaneo.
El Principe Rainer III entrega el premio a ARMANDO en presencia de Jacques Raymond, presidente del comité organizador
PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS 1962/1965 Valencia Athenaeum, Venezuela.
Guanare Athenaeum, Venezuela.
Nebli Gallery, Madrid , Spain.
Acquavella Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela.
Timber Reserve Gallery, Puteaux, France.
Meudon Cultural Center, France.
Embassy Shows of Venezuela. France.
Braulio Salazar Gallery of Carabobo University, Venezuela.
Toulouse Lautrec Gallery, Maracaibo, Venezuela.
SieteSiete Gallery,Caracas ,Venezuela.
Gallery of Arts and Communication, Le mans, France .
Athena Gallery, Saint Brieuc, France.
1991 Lozano lozada Gallery, Valencia, Venezuela.
Consulate Shows of Venezuela in New York, USA.
Andrès Bello Cultural Center, Cairo, Egypt.
‘‘Espacios Transparentes’’ or ‘‘Transparent Spaces’’,
Ascaso Gallery, Valencia, Venezuela. City Hall of the 8th arrondissement, Paris, France.
‘‘Li Art Center Group’’ Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela.
Dimaca Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela. 2005
The White Gallery, Barcelona, Spain. 2009 Guataparo Show, Valencia, Spain. 2011
Dimaca Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela.
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS (selection of principal exhibitions) Sixth International Festival of Painting, Cagnes sur Mer, France.
Contemporary Venezuelan Artists, The Artist Market Gallery, London, Great Britain.
‘‘Latin America in Paris’’, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
‘‘100 Artists of Latin America’’, Amiens , France.
‘‘Tradition and Myths of Latin America’’, City hall of the 6th arrondissement, Paris, France.
Dallaman Castle, Switzerland. ‘‘Venezuela in Paris’’, International City of Arts , Paris. 2000
Tribute to Gaston Diehl, S. Foundation of Rothschild,Paris. 2006
Exhibition at Art & Peace Gallery, St.Ouen, France. 1996/2005/06/07/09/12
Ibero-American Fair (FIA for its acronym in Spanish), Caracas, Venezuela. SHOWS (Selection)
Julio T. Arce Show, Barquisimeto , Venezuela. First Show: Maracay, Venezuela.
1977/1985 20th Show: ‘‘International Awards Ceremony for Contemporary Art’’, Monte Carlo,
Monaco Official Arts Show,Caracas.
Arturo Michelena Show, Valencia, Venezuela.
SALONS OF PARIS
1971/1973 May Show, Modern Art Museum, Paris.
‘‘Great and Young Persons of Today’’, Baltard Pavillion, Paris. 1973/1974
‘‘Great and Young Persons of Today’’, Grand Palais, Paris.
Cuidad Bolivar Museum, Orinoco Mail House, Venezuela.
Banco Latino or Latin Bank, Caracas , Venezuela.
Falcon Bank, Caracas , Venezuela.
Banco La Guaira or La Guaira Bank,Caracas , Venezuela.
Banco Consolidado or Consolidated Bank, Caracas , Venezuela.
National Institute of Pipelines, Caracas, Venezuela.
I.P.A.S.M.E , Caracas , Venezuela.
‘‘General Comptroller of the Republic’’, Caracas, Venezuela.
Banco Italo Venezolano , Caracas, Venezuela.
Banco Central de Vénézuéla , Caracas, Venezuela.
Innumerous private collections both in Venezuela and in France.
PUBLICATIONS
1983 Reproduction of 2 works in the publication, ‘‘Consolidados de Cementos’’ . 1984
Reproduction in ‘‘The Agenda’’ of Banco Latino Venezuela 1985
Reproduction of a work in the book of Banco Latino or Latin Bank. 1995
Book ‘‘Así es Valencia’’ , edited by Soledad Mendoza. 1997 National and Cultural Review, Conac edition, Casa de Bello
Né au Vénézuela en 1936- Paris 2022
Directeur adjoint de l’Ecole de Peinture de Maracay
Professeur de peinture à l’Ecole des Beaux Arts de Valencia
Directeur des activités culturelles de l’Université de Carabobo
En 1968 il s’installe définitivement à Paris avec sa famille, et suit des cours à l’Ecole du Louvre et à l’Université de Vincennes.
Il réalise de nombreux séjours au Vénézuela.
Distinctions
L’Ordre de la Chambre de Commerce de Valencia, première classe, Vénézuela
Prix Premier Prix Arturo Michelena Valencia, Vénézuela
Deuxième Prix Salon Aragua Maracay, Vénézuela
Prix Monte Carlo du XVI Grand Prix International d’Art Contemporain,Principauté de Monaco
Salons Paris Salon de Mai,
Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
Grands et Jeunes d’Aujourd’hui, Pavillon Baltar,
Grand Palais Salon Réalités Nouvelles, Paris.
Salons Comparaisons, Paris.
Biennales
Première Biennale d’Art Contemporain sur papier, Le Touquet France
Première Biennale d’Art Contemporain de Brignole France
Biennale Internationale des Arts, Nogent-sur-Marne France
Peintures Murales
Œuvres murales sur céramique en extérieur au Vénézuela : – Urbanizacion Colinas de Carrizales, Valencia –
Centro Medico Odontologico, Maracaibo -Vénézuéla
Aéroport de Valencia -Vénézuéla
Résidence de Francisco Cabrera -Oeuvre murale privée
Centro Corporativo La Vina Plaza, Valencia – Universidad de Carabobo, Valencia –
Gabinete del Dibujo y de la Estampa, Valencia –
Universidad José Antonio Paez, Valencia – IUTEPAL, Maracay –
Universidad de Carabobo Œuvres murales acrylique sur toile en intérieur : – Résidence de Enrique Dominguez –
Résidence de David Centeno
Expositions Collectives
Participe à de nombreuses expositions collectives au niveau international en Espagne, France, USA, Italie, Grande Bretagne, Principauté de Monaco, Japon, Suisse.
Diverses participations à la FIA(Foire internationale d’Art à Caracas, Vénézuéla).
Collections Publiques
Musée des Arts Mérida, Musée d’Art Contemporain Sofia Imber Caracas,
Ateneo de Valencia,
Musée Soto Ciudad Bolivar, Musée Ciudad Bolivar,
Casa del Correo del Orinoco,
Collection Château de Nointel, France.
Institut National des Canalizations Caracas,
IPASME Caracas,
Contraloria General de la Républica Caracas,
Consolidada de Cementos,
Electricidad de Valencia,
Banco Central de Venezuela.
Collections Privées Diverses collections privées au Vénézuela et en France.