Reynerio Tamayo Fonseca (Holguín, Cuba, 1968) is one of the most prominent and recognized artists in contemporary Cuban visual arts. After having studied at the Superior Institute of Arts (ISA), he joined the recognized generation of creators of the nineties and devoted to painting as a creative medium, thus he has developed an oeuvre in which irony and sarcasm are privileged discursive strategies. He is without any doubt the great humorist of contemporary Cuban art, but his is not humor lacking meaning, but a shrewd and critical satire that is rooted in the reality of the Island and the everyday life of its inhabitants. Reynerio is an entirely post-modern artist, since there is also pastiche and appropriation of artistic languages of the Western past along with the funny and daring character of his proposal, which is set into a dialogue, always with a subversive and questioning tone. Numerous are the awards that support his oeuvre, which is included in the inventory of many important collections inside and outside the boundaries of the Island.
EDUCATION
- 1987 – 1992 Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana
- 1983 – 1987 National School of Plastic Arts (ENA), Havana
- 1980 – 1983 Elemental School of Art, Isla de la Juventud, Cuba
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017
- Cuba en pelota, Galería Habana, Havana
2015
- Sea Soul, The Studios of Key West, Key West
2012
- Gangsters en La Habana, Collateral to the 11th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
2011
- La tierra comprometida, Galería Habana, Havana
2009
- Estación noviembre, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
2008
- Magma mía!!!, Villa Manuela Gallery, Havana
2003
- Los caprichos felices, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
2002
- Arte Cubano San Juan 2002, The Americas Museum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- El Edén se esconde en el paraíso, Majadahonda Hall, Pablo de la Torriente Brau Cultural Center, Havana
2000
- La patria del pintor, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
- El gran juego (With Rubén Alpízar), Collateral to the 7th Havana Biennial, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana
1997
- La uva de Cuba, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
1996
- Mitos, genios y leyendas, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1994
- La familia del huracán, dibujos y pinturas, Collateral to the 5th Havana Biennial, Rubén Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana
1992
- Entrañable museo de la pasión, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana
- El orgasmo es de quien lo trabaja, Juan David Gallery, Havana
1991
- El mundo no es cruel, Collateral to the 4th Havana Biennial, Juan David Gallery, Havana
1988
- Gótico, neogótico y estrambótico, Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana
1987
- Penicilina para los cheos y la tristeza, Juan David Gallery, Havana
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015
- The Drone Wars, Collateral to the 12th Havana Biennial, Fortress San Carlos de la Cabaña, Havana
- Voz alta (Aloud), Thomas Jaeckel Gallery, New York
- Los imaginarios urbanos en el arte cubano contemporáneo, Enlace Gallery, Lima, Peru
- Robando base: Cuba al bate, Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, Kentucky
2014
- Without Masks, Museum of Anthropology (MoA), Vancouver
- Rodando se encuentran, El Reino de este Mundo Gallery, José Martí National Library, Havana
- Una raza: la raza humana (With Mario Sánchez, Manuel Mendive, Roberto Fabelo, Sandra Ramos, Rocío García, The Merger, Rubén Alpízar y Stainless), Ernest Hemingway Museum, National Museum of Fine Art, Havana; Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, Florida
- El peso de una idea, Collage Habana Gallery, Havana
2013
- Robando base: Cuba al bate, The 8th Floor Gallery, Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, New York
- De metáforas y metamorfosis, Victor Hugo House, Havana
- Humor a tres manos, Rubén Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana
- Gritos en la pared, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
2012
- Daiquirí sin azúcar, Galería Habana, Havana
- Caos, Collateral to the 11na Havana Biennial, Galería Habana, Havana
- Avistamientos (Inaugural exhibition), Avistamientos Gallery, Havana
2011
- 50 en los 50 [Tribute to the 50th anniversary of the foundation of The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC)], La Acacia Gallery, Havana
- Consumo gusto, Villena Hall, UNEAC, Havana
2010
- Retratos cubanos, Wifredo Lam Contemporary Art Center, Havana
- En otra dimensión, Galería Habana, Havana
- Monstruos devoradores de energía, San Francisco Square, Seville, Spain
2009
- Glamour de Occidente, Saint-Jacques Foundation, Saint Marie, Martinique
- Ilusiones de paisajes, Piece Unique Gallery, Beirut
- Querido Van Gogh, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- Buque petrolero (With Eulises Niebla), Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Havana
- Alas con puntas…, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, José Martí Memorial, Havana
- Mañana será demasiado tarde, Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Press International Center, Havana
- Pura coincidencia (Los abstractos), Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Expocuba, Havana
- Crisis (Las banderas), Collateral to the 10th Havana Biennial, Expocuba, Havana
2008
- Ilusiones en pequeño formato, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
- III Salón Nacional de la historieta e ilustración, Santiago de Chile Library, Santiago de Chile
- Ghost Posters, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana
- Carteles de los 90: viajes raros, sueños comunes, Lewis and Clark College, Portland
2007
- Monstruos devoradores de energía, Casa de América, Madrid; Milan Triennial, Milan; Grand Palais, Paris
- Frío cubano, Alovera Gallery, Guadalajara, Spain
- Alas por la vida, Dr. Pedro M. Baeza Vega Gallery, Madrid
- En la misma cuerda, 15th International Biennial of Graphic Humour, San Antonio de los Baños, Havana
2006
- Play Ball, Espacio Abierto Gallery, Havana
- Taxi-Tiburón, Collateral to the 9th Havana Biennial, Havana
- Manual de instrucciones, Collateral to the 9th Havana Biennial, Center of Conservation, Restoration and Museology (CENCREM), Havana
- Auge o decadencia del arte cubano, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Martí de todos, The Americas Museum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- IV Salón de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo (SACC), Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- El arte de la apropiación (arte postmoderno), Servando Gallery, Havana
- III Salón de acuarela, Domingo Ravenet Gallery, Havana
2004
- Elegía cubana, Nicolás Guillén Foundation, Havana
2003
- Maneras de inventarse una sonrisa, Collateral to the 8th Havana Biennial, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
2002
- Palabras en el trópico, Center of Conservation, Restoration and Museology (CENCREM), Havana
2001
- Postmedievales en Puerto Rico, The Americas Museum, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- II Salón de arte erótico, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1998
- Arte Santander, Pedro Torres Gallery, Logroño, La Rioja, Spain
- ARCO’98, La Acacia Gallery, Madrid
1997
- ARCO’97, La Acacia Gallery, Madrid
- 95 aniversario del natalicio de Nicolás Guillén, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
1996
- Río Almendares: ni fresa, ni chocolate, Center of Conservation, Restoration and Museology (CENCREM), Havana
- Subasta de primavera, Meliá Cohíba Hotel, Havana
- Reflexiones, Benito Juárez House, Havana
- Los buenos al cielo, los malos al suelo, Imago Gallery, Grand Theater of Havana, Havana
- The Contemporary World of Art and Medicine, International Images, Pennsylvania
- Afiches cubanos, Quebec University, Quebec
- Young Cubans II, International Images, Pennsylvania
- Caribbean and Latin American Fine Art, Chelsea Gallery, Coral Gables, Florida
1995
- I Salón de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo (SACC), National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Exposición centenario o diecisiete instantes de una primavera, Imago Gallery, Grand Theater of Havana, Havana
- Carteles de artistas, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- Alternativas de diseño I, Ludwig Foundation of Cuba, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- Palimpsestos, citas y apropiaciones, Galería Habana, Havana
- Panorámica (Muestra de pintura cubana), Panama National Bank, Panama City
- XVII Festival del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, Imago Gallery, Grand Theater of Havana, Havana
- Contemporary Cuban Fine Arts, Belem Cultural Center, Portugal
1994
- Nenhum Homen é umaIlha. Humor cubano actual, Benin House, Salvador de Bahía
- Young Cubans, Inernational Images, Pennsylvania
1993
- Nacido en Cuba, Mexican Cultural Center, Toluca, Mexico
- Misa por una mueca, 8th Humor International Biennial, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- 8va Bienal Internacional de Humorismo, Eduardo Abela Gallery, San Antonio de los Baños, Havana
1992
- The Unknown Face of Cuban Art, Northern Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA), Newcastle, England
- 6 artistas cubanos, Northern Center for Contemporary Art (NCCA), Newcastle, England
- La ronda cubana, Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- La misión, San Juan de Letrán Gallery, Havana
- Humor como siempre, Eduardo Abela Gallery, San Antonio de los Baños, Havana
1991
- Nacido en Cuba, Carabobo University Foundation, Carabobo, Venezuela
- Ciertas historias de humor, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
- Telarte VII, Center for the Development of Visual Arts (CDAV), Havana
1990
- Sin chistar, Guerrero Gallery, Acapulco Cultural Center, Havana
- II Festival del humor. Seña 90, Matanzas, Cuba
- I Salón Nacional de Humorismo y Sátira, San Antonio de Los Baños, Havana
- Humor en Cuba, State Library, Rio de Janeiro
- I Salón Nacional de Ilustraciones para Libros, Havana
1989
- 9na Bienal Internacional del Humor y la Sátira en el Arte, Humor House, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
1988
- II Encuentro de jóvenes artistas plásticos, Villa Clara Provincial Museum, Villa Clara, Cuba
1987
- Veintitantos abriles, Galería Habana, Havana
1986
- Salón Internacional de Sátira Política: La deuda externa, 23 y 12 Gallery, Havana
- 8va Bienal Internacional del Humor y la Sátira en el arte, Humor House, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
COLLECTIONS
- National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- Farber Collection, New York
- Avistamientos Collection, Havana
- Coral Capital Art Collection, Florida
- Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, New York
- Benicio del Toro Collection, Puerto Rico
- National Council of Plastic Arts (CNAP), Havana
- Humor Museum, San Antonio de los Baños, Havana
- Humor House, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
- Maximillian Reiss Collection, Vienna
- Carlos Weil Collection, Panama
- Feliz Daza Collection, Spain
- Enrico Garzaroli Collection, Italy
- Armando Amorim Soares Collection, Portugal
- The von Christierson Collection, London
- Alberto de la Puente Collection, Spain
- Gilbert Brownstone Collection, Paris