MANUEL MENDIVE

Considered one of the most important Cuban artists, Manuel Mendive was born on December 15, 1944 in Luyanó, Cuba. Studying the work of Manuel Mendive requires understanding his cultural background and the political and social environment in which he emerges as an artist. He graduated from the San Alejandro academy in 1963, Mendive was born in the family of a practicing Santeria and despite an environment that is not conducive to the theme of his work, remains faithful to his origins and is dedicated to explore the magical dimension of man through a variety of techniques on multiple supports.

Mendive’s works in the 1960s explored the mystery of creation with images of the orishas of the Yoruba pantheon as the protagonists. Already in the 70s he began to represent scenes of everyday life but kept in the same representations of these deities. His drawings, paintings, body art, sculptures and performances, in which he integrates free choreographies with rhythmic music.

Manuel Mendive’s first solo exhibition took place at the Havana Art Center in 1964 and since then his work has been exhibited in some of the most important art centers in the world, such as the XLII Biennial of Venice in 1968, when the pavilion Cuban was completely dedicated to showing his work. His work is represented in the National Museum of Fine Arts in Havana, the Musee d’Art Moderne in Paris, as well as museums in Russia, Somalia, Congo, Norway, Denmark, Finland and the United States, among others.

He has received numerous prizes, including the National Prize for the Arts of Cuba (2001) and the Adam Montparnasse Prize at the Salon de Mai exhibition in Paris in 1968, the Order Knight of the Arts and Letters of the Ministry of Culture and Francophony of the Republic of France, and the Felix Varela Order of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.

Memberships and Studies
1963- graduated from the Saint Alexander School, majoring in Painting and Sculpture. He studied at the Department of Ethnology and Folklore, from the Academy of Sciences of Cuba and Art History at the Faculty of Humanities, School of Arts, University of Havana.
He is a member of National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC for the name in Spanish)) and the International Academy of Visual Artists (IAA)

Solo Exhibitions
2011 – Light and Darkness, Museum Jose Luis Cuevas. Mexico DF, Mexico
2009 – The Spirit, the nature and heads – Exhibition and performance. Origines Gallery. Collateral 10th Biennial of Havana, Havana, Cuba. Mendive in Saint Martin, Amahoro Gallery. Saint Martin.
2008 – Exhibition ¨ White, blue, and green and the color of my skin ¨ Museum of Anthropology and History of Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, January 9 to March 30, 2008.
2005 – Exhibition Feeding the Spirit, the Light, the Ancients, Oludumare, the most beautiful, Gary Nader Gallery, Coral Gables, USA, (March 5).
– Mother Africa Series. ¨ African Culture Day, Gallery • House of Culture of Angola ¨ Havana, Cuba.
2004 – Exhibition of Contemporary Cuban Art, Athens, Greece.
2003 – The Ancestors, Orisha, nature and thought, Museum of the Americas, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
– Social, intellectual and chic, Biarritz, France.
2002 – The Waters, everyday life and thought, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
– Shango and the Life, Exhibition Hall The Recova, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.
2001 – Shango and Life, Sa Nostra Cultural Centre, Palma de Mallorca, Capitol Cultural Center, Cáceres, Spain.
– Santa Barbara Shango in our Lives, Universal Art Gallery of Guines, Havana, Cuba.
2000 – Birds and Fish, Latin America Gallery, House of the Americas, Havana, Cuba.
– Sculptures Exhibition, Museum of Rum, Havana, Cuba.
1999 – Gary Nader Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida, USA.
1998 – Ville of Chanteclerc, Fort-de-France, Martinique.
– Gallery Andy Jllich, Switzerland.
1997 – Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
– The World of Art Gallery, Paris France.
– Museum of Colonial Art, Havana, Cuba.
– Museum of Modern Art of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
1996 – National Gallery of Jamaica, Kingston, Jamaica.
– Contemporary Art Gallery, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
– La Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1995 – Fernando Quintana Gallery, Bogotá Colombia.
1994 – The World of Art Gallery, Paris, France.
1993 – Expositum Gallery, Mexico City, DF
1992 – The World of Art Gallery, Paris, France.
1991 – XXI International Biennial of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
1990 – Civic Gallery, Piazza Cavour, Padua, Italy.
1989 – Nesle Gallery, Paris, France.
– Group SEIBU, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
1988 – The October Gallery, London, Great Britain.
– Ethnographic Museum of Budapest, Hungary.
– XLIII Venice Biennial, Italy.
1987 – For the Eye that Sees, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
– Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama City, Panama.
1986 – Talking with Fish, Latin American Cultural Space Gallery, Paris France.
1984 – Plaza Vieja Gallery, Cuban Fund of Cultural Assets, Havana, Cuba.
1982 – ORTH Gallery, Nuremberg, FRG.
– Iwalewa House, University of Bayreuth, Germany.
– Gallery Mpapa, Lusaka, Zambia.
– Itinerant exhibition in Zambia, Nigeria, Angola and Mozambique.
1981 – Art Gallery, Moscow, USSR.
1980 – Mendive: A painter of Magical Realism, L Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1975 – National Museum of Tanzania, Tanzania, Africa.
1964 – Arts Centre, Cathedral Square, Havana, Cuba.

Performances (selection)
2004 – The Nature and Body, Art Center, May Pilgrimages, Holguín.
2003 – Sexology International Event, National Theater of Cuba, Havana.
– Eighth Havana Biennial, The California Project, Havana.
2002 – Performance for the exhibition The Waters, the everyday and thought, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
2001 – Performance for the exhibition Shango and Life, filmed in Manto Blanco, Lomas de la Peregrina, Tapaste.
– Performance for the exhibition Santa Barbara -Shango in our Lives, Universal Art Gallery, Guines, Havana.
– Body Painting exhibition Shango and Life, Cultural Centre, Sa Nostra, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
2000 – Inauguration of the exhibition Social, intellectual and chic, Museum of Rum, Havana, Cuba.
– Birds and Fish, Latin American Gallery, House of the Americas, Havana, Cuba.
1999 – African Odyssey Event, John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC, USA.
– International Fair of Contemporary Art, FIAC’99, Paris, France.
1998 – Water, light, shadow, Villa Chanteclerc, Fort-de-France, Martinique.
1997 – ARCO’97 International Art Fair, Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
– Looks like Happiness, VI Biennial of Havana, Wifredo Lam Center, Museum of Colonial Art, Havana, Cuba.
– Museum of Modern Art Cartagena de Indias, San Pedro Claver Square, Colombia.
1996 – Deep Waters, Current Art Gallery, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
– Heads and Hearts, Performance and Multimedia, La Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1995 – 2000 Caribbean Festival, Space Champeret, Paris, France.
1994 – Deep Waters, Cenvantino International Festival, Museum of Alhándiga, Guanajuato, Mexico.
– V Havana Biennial, Wifredo Lam Center, Havana, Cuba.
1993 – First Festival of Arts and Culture Vodum Ouidah’93, Benin, Africa.
1992 – The World of Art Gallery, Paris, France.
– Remove Evil, Nesle Theatre, Paris, France.
1991 – Shango, inauguration of the Latin America Memorial, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
1990 – XII International Ballet Festival of Havana, Havana, Cuba.
– Yemaya and Oshun, Civic Gallery, Piazza Cavour, Padua, Italy.
1989 – ICA Institute of Contemporary Art, London, UK.
– The nature and the body SEIBU Group, Tokyo, Japan.
– Light, Third Biennial of Havana, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
– Cultural Center of the Philippines, with the participation of the Philippine National Ballet.
1988 – Iroko, exhibition Waters, fish and man, The October Gallery, London,
– Modern Art Museum of the City of Paris, France.
– The Peacock, XLIII Venice Biennial, Italy.
1987 – For the Eye that Sees, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
– Museum of Contemporary Art, Panama City.
– Performance, The Congos of Portobelo Festivity, Panama.
1986 – Life, II Biennial of Havana, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.

Group Exhibitions
2010 – ARCO. Contemporary Art Fair. Madrid, Spain.
PINTA, The Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art Fair. New York, USA.
PINTA, The Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art Fair. London, England
2009 – Latin America, myths and realities from the south to the tropic. Emilia Cohen Gallery. Mexico City, Mexico.
2008 – ARCO. Contemporary Art Fair. Madrid, Spain.
2007 – International Contemporary Art Fair, ARCO 2008, Madrid, Spain
– 11 Cuban artists, Le Manoir Cultural Center, Cologny, Switzerland, April-May 2007
– International Contemporary Art Fair, ARCO 2007, Madrid, Spain
– Eleven Cuban artists. Le Manoir Cultural Center, 4 Place du Manoir, 1223, Cologne
2006 – Villa Manuela Gallery, UNEAC, Havana, Cuba
– Spaces Gallery, Madrid, Spain
2005 – International Art Fair ARCO 2005, Madrid, Spain
– Art Expo Atlanta, United States
– International Art Basel Fair, Switzerland.
– Inner Look, Museum of the City, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Havana.
2004 – International Art Fair ARCO’2004, Madrid, Spain.
– Tribute to Guayasamin, Guayasamin House, Museum of the City
– International Art Fair Art Fair, Toronto, Canada.
– Recount of an Award, Villa Manuela Gallery, UNEAC, Havana
– Inner Look, 35 Cuban artists, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Museum of the City.
2003 – Miami, Art Fair Miami, USA.
– ARCO’2003 Fair, Madrid, Spain.
– Fair of Caracas, Venezuela
– Art Chicago, USA. Biarritz Culture and Film Festival, France.
2002 – Carambola Beach Resort Gallery, St. Croix, United States of America.
– The Great House at Villa Madeleine, St. Croix, United States of America.
– Miami International Art Fair, United States of America.
– International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO’2002, Madrid, Spain.
2001 – International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO’2001, Madrid, Spain.
– International Art Fair Miami, USA.
– Carambola Beach Resort Gallery, St. Croix, United States of America.
– The Great House at Villa Madeleine, St. Croix, United States of America.
– Latin American Art Show, New York, United States of America.
– Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States of America.
– The Greenwich Library, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States of America.
2000 – Gallery Carambola Beach resort, St. Croix, United States of America.
– Gallery Coming to America, New York, United States of America.
– International Contemporary Art Fair, ARCO 2000, Madrid, Spain.
– Ibero-American Art Fair, Caracas, Venezuela.
– Art Fair, Shanghai 2000, China.
– Artissina, Palazzo Nervi-Torino, Italy.
– Cuban Plastic, Fort-de -France, Martinique.
– Art Institute of Boston, USA.
– VII Biennial of Havana, Plaza Vieja, Office of the City Historian, Balearic Islands Government, Department of Culture.
1999 – Whim Museum Gallery , St. Croix, United States of America.
– Contemporary International Art Fair ARCO 99, Madrid, Spain.
– International Fair for Modern and Contemporary Art FIAC’99, Paris, France.
– International Art Fair Miami, USA North America.
– Castle of Capdepera, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
1998 – International Art Fair Miami, USA.
– International Contemporary Art Fair, ARCO 98, Madrid, Spain.
– Modern Art Atlantic Center, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
– Contemporary Art Andalusian Center, Andalusian Government, Seville.
– III International Banners Exhibition, Tijuana Cultural Center, Mexico.
– International Art Fair of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
– International Art Fair FIAC Caracas, Caracas, Venezuela.
– Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
– The Metropolitan Pavilion Gallery, Center for Cuban Studies, New York, United States of America.
– International Biennial of Art of Cumana, Venezuela.
– Exhibitions Hall, Huesca Government Office, Spain.
1997 – International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO 97, Madrid, Spain.
– Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
– VI Biennial of Havana, Wifredo Center Lam, Havana, Cuba.
1996 – Atlantic Center of Modern Art, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Spain.
– La Caixa Foundation, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
– Santa Monica Art Centre, Barcelona, Spain.
– International Contemporary Art Fair, ARCO 96, Madrid, Spain.
– Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
1994 – Museum of Modern Art, Troyes, France.
– Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, South Korea.
1993 – The World of Art Gallery, Paris, France.
– Boshum Museum, Germany.
1992 – Arts Pavilion Seville 92, Spain.
1991 – Museum of San Diego, California, United States of America.
– Civic Gallery of Contemporary Art, Marsala, Sicily, Italy.
– Siqueiros Cultural Center, Mexico City
1990 – XXV International Art Exhibition of Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
– Velasquez Palace, Madrid, Spain.
1989 – Villa de Madrid Cultural Center, Spain.
– Hayward Gallery, London, Great Britain.
– III Biennial of Havana, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1988 – May Salon, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
– 17th Caribbean Cultural Festival, Fort-de-France, Martinique.
1986 – II Biennial of Havana, Wifredo Lam Center, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1984 – IFA Gallery, Bonn, Germany.
– I Havana Biennial, Wifredo Lam Center, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1980 – UNESCO House, Paris France.
– Carrillo Gil Museum, Mexico City
1979 – Carifesta’79 Festival, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1978 – Spanish Museum of Contemporary Art, Madrid, Spain.
1977 – Museum f Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico D.F.
1976 – Museum of Modern Art, La Tertulia, California, USA.
1975 – National Institute of Fine Arts, Mexico City
1974 – Cuban Plastic in Sweden, Sweden.
1970 – Hall 70, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
– II International Painting Festival of Cannes sur Mer, France.
– Expo Japan 70, Cuban Pavilion, Japan.
1969 – Young Cuban Painting, itinerant exhibition presented in Algeria, Mongolia, USSR, Korea, China, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, GDR and Poland.
– Exhibition in honor of Camilo and Che, Havana, Cuba.
1968 – XXIV May Salon, Museum of Modern Art in the City of Paris, France. Havana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
– Cultural Congress of Havana, Havana, Cuba.
– National Hall of Plastic Arts of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, Havana, Cuba.
1967 – International Exhibition Expo’67, Montreal, Canada.
– Galiano Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1963 – Lyceum of Havana, Fine Arts Circle, Havana, Cuba.
1962 – Lyceum of Havana, Fine Arts Circle, Havana, Cuba.
1961 – Municipal Gallery of Fine Arts, Cathedral Square, Havana, Cuba.

Awards and Honors
2004 – Medal of Honor José María Heredia, Council of Fine Arts, Department of Culture, Santiago de Cuba.
– Hacha of Holguín, Office of Cultural Heritage, Holguín.
2001 – National Plastic Arts Prize 2001, Havana, Cuba.
– Distinction Illustrious Son of the City of Havana, People’s Power, City of Havana
1995 – Medal of the City of Fort-de-France, Martinique.
1994 – Felix Varela Order of First Degree, State Council of the Republic of Cuba.
– Order Knight of Arts and Letters of the Ministry of Culture and Francophone of the Republic of France.
1990 – Medal of the Commune of Saint Giuliano Terme, Italy.
– Medal of the City of Havana
1989 – Junior Olympics Medal, Japan.
1988 – Alejo Carpentier Medal, State Council of the Republic of Cuba.
– Collective Award Cuban Exhibition at the First Biennial Jaime Guash Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
1987 – Distinction Order V Anniversary, Municipal Department of Culture, Cotorro.
1986 – Mention VI Cultural Festival of Caribbean origin, Santiago de Cuba.
– Certificate IV Quadrennial, Erfurt, Germany.
– International Award of the Second Biennial of Havana, Wifredo Lam Center, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba .
1984 – Award Latin American Cultural Space Gallery of Paris, I Havana Biennial, Wifredo Lam Center, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana Cuba.
– Award Order 1300 Years of Bulgarian Culture, Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria.
1983 – Distinction by the National Culture, Ministry of Culture of Cuba.
1976 – Medal of the Municipal Department of Culture October 10, Havana, Cuba.
1970 – Diploma National Prix, II International Painting Festival, Cannes-sur-Mer, France.
1968 – Adam Montparnasse Prize, XXIV May Salon in Paris, France.
– Award National Hall of Plastic Arts, Havana Cuba.
1967 – First Prize, Drawing Hall, Havana, Cuba.
1962 – Sculpture Award, Circle of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1955 – Award, Morinaga Society of Exaltation of the Mother, UNESCO, Tokyo, Japan.

Works in Museums Collections and Cultural Institutions
– National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana.
– Emilio Bacardi Museum, Santiago de Cuba.
– Museum of Modern Art, Panama, PANARTE.
– Museum of Modern Art, Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
– Ethnographic Museum of Budapest, Hungary.
– Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris, France.
– Atlantic Center of Modern Art, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
– Sa Nostra Foundation, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
– France Liberté Foundation, Paris, France.
– Joan Guaita Art Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
– National Museum of Tanzania.
– The John F. Kennedy Center, Washington, USA.
– Gary Nader, Art Gallery, Miami, USA.
– Group Seibu, Tokyo, Japan.
– Cultural Center of Manila, Philippines.

Books
– Memories of Cuba, Book of Photography by Olivier Beytout and François Mizzen, p.32, Ed Pluma, Paris, 1997.
– Mirrors Happen, 43 Cuban artists, Miguel Angel Baez, Ed National Council of Plastic Arts, Havana, 2000.
– Art Cuba, The New Generation Ed Holly Block, USA, 2001.
– Lost Paradise / Paraiso Perdido (Aspects of Landscape in Latin American Art / Aspectos del Paisaje en el Arte Latino Americano), The Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, 2003.
– Havanans, Photography Book, Ed Wahl Stron & Widstrand, Norway, 2003.
– Magical Art in Cuba, 51 Cuban painters, Gérald Movial, Pág.130, Ed National Council of Plastic Arts, Havana, 2004.
– Cuban Art, Remembering Cuba through Its Art, p. 223, 2004.