Lazaro Saavedra

The CNAP announced that it has granted the National Visual Arts Award 2014 to artist Lázaro Saavedra. The prize was first awarded in 1994 and is granted annually to a living Cuban visual artist, who resides in the island and whose production represents an important contribution to the development and history of the visual arts in Cuba. It also takes into account the artist's most relevant achievements and his/her national and international projection. Born in Havana in 1964, Saavedra has created works that are now part of the collections of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Cuba and the galleries Daros in Switzerland and Ludwig Forum in Germany. Some of the recognitions that Saavedra has received include: First Place at the Martian Seminar for the exhibition Tribute of the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), in 1986; the Grand Prize at the Creation and Research Festival, in 1987; and a distinction for National Culture in 1999. He is known for the satirical style with which he approaches Cuban reality, for representing the everyday political and cultural life in the country through writing and cartoonish drawings. Lázaro Saavedra studied at the Escuela Elemental de Artes Plásticas "20 de Octubre" from 1976 to 1979, and from 1979 to 1983 at the Escuela Provincial de Artes Plásticas San Alejandro. From 1983 to 1988 he completed his academic studies at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). Saavedra belong to the Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba. He has presented several personal and group exhibitions and has participated in numerous national and international events such as the Venice Biennale. This important recognition also underscores the contributions of Saavedra as a teacher whose persevering pedagogical work has help the development of several generations of Cuban students. There were 25 cultural institutions around Cuba involved in the nominations. The jury was formed by renowned personalities of the Visual Arts world and was chaired by last year's National Award winner, Eduardo Ponjuán, and integrated by the following former National Visual Arts Award recipients: Osneldo García, Pedro Pablo Oli¬va, René de la Nuez, José Villa, Nelson Domín¬guez, Ernesto Fernández Nogueras and Ever Fonse¬ca; artists Iván Capote, Abel Barreto and Abel Barroso; Life Time Achievement Award to a Critic recipient, Manuel López Oliva; and the art critics Ma¬ría de los Ángeles Pereira, David Mateo and Axel Li. The other nominees this year were: José Antonio Choy, Lesbia Vent Dumois, Salvador Corratgé, Zaida del Río, Roberto Salas, Juan Moreira, Pedro de Oráa, José Manuel Fors, Alberto Lescay Merencio, Alexis Leyva Machado (Kcho), Eduardo Roca (Choco), Manuel Hernández Valdés, Rafael Zarza and Rocío García.