gina pellon

Gina Pellon was born in Cuba, in 1926.

Although born in Cuba, Gina Pellón probably is best known in Paris, where she has lived since 1959, and elsewhere in Europe. She has exhibited extensively throughout France as well as in galleries in Norway and Denmark. Clearly influenced by the Surrealists she met on her arrival in Paris as well as the colorful CoBrA artists, her gestural figurative works are always popular for their success at evoking the emotions and personalities of her subjects.

She says: "When Fidel Castro came to power a number of scholarships were created for artists. I applied for one, but I was not among the finalists. Lacking financial resources to go to Europe, I contacted a steamship company in an effort to find passage to Europe. The person in charge said he would give me a free ticket if I brought him twelve scholarship recipients. I showed up with fifty! The stay in Paris was limited by the Cuban government to three months, and when they had passed, Roberto Fernandez-Retamar, who was the Cuban cultural attache in Paris, demanded our return. I flatly refused. Fernandez-Retamar was furious, but I remained in Paris. I had nothing to fear; I had my training and experience from Cuba. Following my graduation from San Alejandro I had worked as an art teacher for three years. I allowed children to express themselves freely, to tell their stories through colorful strokes of the brush. My painting is just that, a kind of multicolor graffiti. I believe that every artist has preconceived innate ideas; but when an artist goes into the world, the universe unfolds before him. This was my case in Paris, and also in the Scandinavian countries. When I arrived with my tropical colors to the sober and gray tranquillity of Scandinavia, it was as if I had brought the sun to them. They love my painting. When an artist leaves his country, he parts with his frontiers, but retains a familiar horizon. Mine continues to be Cuban. I have traveled around the world three times, North to South, East to West. I feel that in the United States people are willing to take risks, and that nowhere else can you find the same degree of freedom of expression. Yet I have lived happily in Paris, because I was welcomed right away; for me this city is the heart of the world."

Gina Pellón (Cumanayagua, Cuba, 1926). Vive y trabaja en París desde 1959 es una artista inusual. Durante cuatro décadas de creación incesante, en las que ha trabajado la pintura, las técnicas de la litografía, el grabado, e incluso, realizado algunas incursiones poéticas —aunque poética es su pintura—, la artista ha recibido en diversas ocasiones el reconocimiento del mundo del arte por una obra de calidad sostenida, porque sus lienzos son un festín de libertad, un gesto de esperanza y una alegría permanente...

Awards.

1961- Medalla de la Ciudad de Cholet, Francia 1961 - Medal of the City of Cholet, France

1970: Premio de Pintura de la Bienal de Menton, Francia 1970: Award of Painting Biennial of Menton, France

1978: Caballero de la Orden de las Artes y Letras, Francia 1978: Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France

Beca Cintas Foundation, Fellowship, New Jersey, USA Tape Scholarship Foundation Fellowship, New Jersey, USA 1986: Quinta Seleccion, Annual Excellence Awards in Plastic Art, Facts about 1986: Fifth Selection, Annual Excellence Awards in Plastic Art, Facts about Cuban Exiles, USA Cuban Exiles, USA

1992: Premio Arletty de interpretacion cinematográfica por artistas 1992: Prize Arletty interpretation of film artists plásticos, Francia plastics, France.

Summary of personal exhibitions.

1961- Galeria Kasper, Lausanne, Suiza 1961 - Gallery Kasper, Lausanne, Switzerland

1966- Galeria Kephy, Amsterdam, Holanda 1966 - Gallery Kephy, Amsterdam, Netherlands

1968- Galeria du Dragon, Paris, Francia 1968 - Gallery du Dragon, Paris, France

1971- Lunds Museum, Konstall, Suecia 1971 - Lunds Museum, Konstall, Sweden

1974- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca 1974 - Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1975- Galeria Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela Gallery Mendoza, Caracas, Venezuela

1975- "Fables d'opéra", Galeria RIIS, Trondheim, Noruega 1975 - "Fables d'opéra," Gallery RIIS, Trondheim, Norway

1976- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca 1976 - Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1979- Galeria Trudvang, Trodheim, Noruega 1979 - Gallery Trudvang, Trodheim, Norway

1980- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca 1980 - Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1981- Galeria Meeting Point, Miami, USA 1981 - Meeting Point Gallery, Miami, USA

1983- Maison de la Culture, Toulouse, Francia 1983 - Maison de la Culture, Toulouse, France

1986- Galeria Vanuxem, Paris, Francia 1986 - Gallery Vanuxem, Paris, France

1987- Galeria La Cour 21, Nantes, Francia 1987 - Gallery La Cour 21, Nantes, France

1987- Galeria Laurens, Amsterdam, Holanda 1988 -Laurens Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands

1988- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark.

1988 -Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1989- Galeria Syd, Falster, Dinamarca 1989 - Syd Gallery, Falster, Denmark

1990- Galeria L'Arcade, Paris, Francia 1990 - L'Arcade Gallery, Paris, France .

1991 -Galeria Virginia Miller, Miami, USA Virginia Miller Gallery, Miami, USA

1992- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca 1992 - Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1993- Galeria The Americas Collection, Miami, USA 1993 - americas Gallery Collection, Miami, USA

1994- Galeria Elite Fine Art, Miami, USA 1994 - Elite Fine Art Gallery, Miami, USA

1995- Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca 1995 - Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark

1996- Galeria Egelund, Copenhague, Dinamarca 1996 - Gallery Egelund, Copenhagen, Denmark

1999- "Retrospectiva Gina Pellon 1963-1999", Museo du Pilori, Niort, Francia

1999- "Gina Pellon Retrospective 1963-1999", 2000 - Museum du Pilori, Niort.

1999- France Stand en la FIAC de Paris Stand in the FIAC in Paris .

2001- Galeria Elite Fine Art, Miami, USA 2001 - Elite Fine Art Gallery, Miami, USA .

2001 - Galeria Loft, Paris Loft Gallery, Paris Galeria Moderne, Silkeborg, Dinamarca Moderne Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark .

2002- Galeria Il Bostrico, Albisola Marina, Italia 2002 - Gallery Il Bostrico, Albisola Marina, Italy

2003 - Comune di Spinea, Spinea-Venezia, Italia Comune di Spinea, Spinea-Venezia, Italy.