Pedro Pablo Oliva Rodríguez (Pinar del Río, Cuba, 1949) is, since he burst into the field of Cuban visual arts and until now, one of those unforgettable names, not only for art historiography, but also for the homeland itself. In this genius’ oeuvre, which has diagrammed decades, processes and circumstances, we may find the commitment to his scenery, his milieu and his people. As few, as very few actually, this artist has followed close Cuban people’s everyday life, its virtues and shortcomings, its lights and shades… its blinding radiance and its great blackouts. In the essence of his production lays our idiosyncrasy: saying without saying, the fortune of laughter that plunders the most serious and substance topic. His large and small size paintings, his sculptures of unquestionable “olivan” finish, his peculiar way of creating and his personal and non-transferable making remain as traces of a true master’s creation. His production, which has deserved innumerable awards and honors, is part of many prestigious collections in Cuba and abroad… from Cuba to the world.
EDUCATION
- 1968 – 1970 National School of Arts (ENA), Havana
- 1961 – 1964 Provincial School of Plastic Arts, Pinar del Río, Cuba
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018
- Espantado de todo, Casa 8 Gallery, Havana
2017
- En cuerpo y alma: Bronces de Pedro Pablo Oliva, Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana
2016
- Apuntes de viaje. Dibujos, tintas y acuarelas de Pedro Pablo Oliva, Rubén Martínez Villena Library, Havana; Pinar del Río Visual Arts Center, Pinar del Río, Cuba
2014
- Utopías y disidencias, Pinar del Río Art Museum (MAPRI), Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Extraños estudios para mi mano temblorosa, Conventions Palace, Havana
2013
- Pequeñas cosas. Pedro Pablo Oliva. Obras recientes, Latin American Art Gallery, Miami
- Extraños estudios para mi mano temblorosa, Documentation Center, Havana
2012
- Pedro Pablo Oliva. Obras recientes, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, La Mina Art Studio, Havana
2008
- Unfulfilled Promises, PanAmerican ArtProjects, Miami
2007
- Historia de amor, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
2003
- Papeles nocturnos, Provincial Gallery, Las Tunas, Cuba
2002
- Papeles nocturnos, Domingo Padrón Gallery, Miami
2000
- Quiero pintar en paz…, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1995
- El gran apagón, Art Gallery, Pinar del Río, Cuba
1992
- Pedro Pablo Oliva. Obras recientes, Bernheim Gallery, Panama
- Pedro Pablo Oliva, Sindin Gallery, New York
1991
- Pedro Pablo Oliva. Diálogo con su magia, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1984
- Pedro Pablo Oliva. Pinturas, dibujos, bocetos y otros pasatiempos, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1980
- Exposición de Pedro Pablo Oliva, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1979
- Pedro Pablo Oliva, Art Gallery, Pinar del Río, Cuba
1978
- Oliva y las imágenes de su pueblo, Galería Habana, Havana
1977
- Muestra del mes, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Pedro Pablo Oliva, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1974
- Muestra del mes, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2018
- (Otras) Crónicas marcianas, Casa 8 Gallery, Havana
2014
- Miradas, Factoría Habana, Havana
- Rodando se encuentran [National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP) Collection], Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center, Shanghai
- El peso de una idea, Collage Habana Gallery, Havana
- 20 años de luces y sombras, Hispano American Culture Center, Havana
- Quijote de utopías, Arturo Regueiro Gallery, Pinar del Río, Cuba
2013
- Picassum Tremens, Victor Hugo House, Havana
- Confluencia, Provincial Cultural Center, Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Cubart, Pop Up Gallery and PanAmerican ArtProjects, New York
- 11 artistas cubanos de hoy, Servando Cabrera Moreno Library Museum, Havana
2012
- Küba Mozaik, Istanbul
- 11 artistas cubanos de hoy, José Martí Memorial, Havana
- Exposición paisajes, Visual Arts Center, Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Colección privada, Pinar del Río Art Museum (MAPRI), Pinar del Río, Cuba
- I Salón de arte expresionista, Antonia Eiriz Museum, Havana
- Feria de arte Turquía, Istanbul
- Dream City, Pinar del Río Art Museum (MAPRI), Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Exposición en el Hotel Nacional de Cuba, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, National Hotel of Cuba, Havana
2011
- Acuarelas, Lombillo Palace, Havana
- 1 minuto de silencio, Oswaldo Guayasamín House, Havana
2010
- ARTLISBON, Lisbon
- PINTA, PanAmerican ArtProjects, New York
- ARTEAMERICAS, Oxenberg Fine Art Gallery, Florida
2009
- Confluences: Inside Cuban Contemporary Art, National Hispano American Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- HB. Muestra de arte cubano contemporáneo, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Pabexpo, Havana
2008
- Artistas Cubanos na Assembleia da República, Parliament of the Republic, Lisbon
- ARCO’08, La Casona Gallery, Madrid
2007
- Arte cubano contemporáneo, Michoacán Art Center, Mexico
- Puente para las rupturas, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Bienal de La Vasija, Ceramic National Museum, Havana
2006
- Arte de Cuba, Brazil Cultural Center, Sao Paulo
- Jet-Lag, Collateral to the 9th Havana Biennial, Carmen Montilla Gallery, Havana
- Isla interior, Havana Club Foundation, Havana
2005
- ARTMIAMI, Miami Convention Center, Miami
- Subasta Habana, Galería Habana, Havana
- Maestros de Cuba, Cornell Museum of Art and History, New York
- Artistas cubanos, Espacios Gallery, Madrid
2004
- Subasta Habana, Galería Habana, Havana
- ARTORONTO, Toronto
- Monstruos, monstricos y… aspirantes, Lyle O. Reitzel Gallery, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Del lobo un pelo, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
2003
- ARCO’03, Madrid
- Subasta Habana, Galería Habana, Havana
2002
- Subasta Habana, Galería Habana, La Habana
- Latin American Art, Sotheby’s, New York
- Latin American Art, Christie’s, New York
2001
- Lights for Hope, Alpha Gallery, Miami
- Cien años de arte en Pinar Del Río, Pinar del Río Art Museum (MAPRI), Pinar del Río, Cuba
- Subasta de arte latinoamericano Gary Nader, Miami
- Latin American Art, Sotheby’s, New York
2000
- Feria de Marbella, Seville, Spain
- Tres de Cuba, Moleiros Gallery, Monterrey, Mexico
1999
- II Salón de Arte Contemporáneo Cubano (SACC), La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1996
- I Salón de Arte Contemporáneo Cubano (SACC), National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- ARCO’96, Madrid
1995
- One Love, Jamaica and Cuba (Exhibition in honor of Bob Marley’s 50th birthday), Chelsea Gallery, Kingston
1994
- Trío de la seducción (With Nelson Domínguez and Roberto Fabelo), La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1993
- ARTMIAMI, Bernheim Gallery, Miami
1984
- 1ra Bienal de La Habana, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1983
- Artistas plásticos latinoamericanos, Macondo Gallery, Stockholm
- Pintores contemporáneos de Cuba, Casón del Buen Retiro, Madrid
1980
- Deux Maitres, Deux Jeunes (Wifredo Lam, René Portocarrero, Manuel Mendive, Pedro Pablo Oliva), UNESCO Palace, Paris
1978
- Pintura y gráfica cubanas, Contemporary Art Spanish Museum, Madrid
1977
- Plástica cubana, Museum of Fine Arts, México
- Cuba Peintres D’aujourd’hui, Modern Art Museum, Paris
1976
- Pintura cubana actual, La Tertulia Museum, Cali, Colombia
MEMBERSHIP
- Member of National Union of de Cuban Writers and Artists (UNEAC), Havana
- Member of The International Association of Plastic Artists (AIAP)
- Professor, Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana
AWARDS
2007
- Special Award, La Vasija Biennial, Ceramic Museum, Havana
2006
- National Award of Plastic Arts, Havana
- Special Award, La Vasija Biennial, Ceramic Museum, Havana
1994
- Alejo Carpentier Medal, Havana
1987
- Distinction for the National Culture, Havana
1981
- Acquisition Award, Girón Salon, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
1980
- First Award, VII National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts, Havana
1973
- First Award, I National Salon of Plastic Art Instructors, Pinar del Río, Cuba
COLLECTIONS
- Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Los Angeles
- National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- National Museum of Fine Arts, Caracas
- Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Art Museum of Los Angeles, Los Angeles
- The Americas Museum, Managua, Nicaragua
- Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Arts, Oregon University, Oregon
- Casa de las Américas, Havana
- Avistamientos Collection, Havana
- National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana
- Fototeca de Cuba, Havana
- Fototeca de Pachuca, Pachuca, Mexico
- Armando Amorim Soares Collection, Portugal