Abigail Varela (born February 9, 1948) is a Venezuelan visual artist. He is best known for bronze sculptures representing
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era spans from the original settlement of North and South America in the Upper Paleolithic period through European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage of 1492. Usually, th ...
of abstract feminine figures interpreted in modern style in poses that suggest motion.
Career
Varela began his art education under Japanese ceramist Hiroshi Kawagiri followed by courses at art schools in Caracas. Varela produces flat silhouetted large sculptures, evolving into classic cast bronzes with a polished dark finish. Other works are made in solid aluminum. Varela's favorite theme is feminity in bulky shapes that somehow manage to suggest lightness and movement. His shapes have been likened to those of the
Venus of Willendorf. A touch of humor inhabits many of Varela's sculptures.
Achievements
Varela's art is noted in Venezuela and beyond.
His work has been exhibited in New York (Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery), London (Cynthia Bourne Gallery), San Salvador (Galería Espacio), Coral Gables (Galería Freites-Revilla) and Boca Raton (Elaine Baker Gallery) among other places. A retrospective of Varela's art was presented at the
BOD Center in Caracas in 2014.
In 2018 his work was chosen (among 22 pieces) for exhibition at the
CAF gallery (Caracas) representing ''Times and Trends in Latin American Sculpture''.
His art has been reviewed in essays and books.
His pieces occupy the art collections of Venezuelan institutions such as the
National Art Gallery (Caracas)
The National Art Gallery (Galería de Arte Nacional; GAN) also known as Gallery of National Art is located in the Plaza Morelos area of Caracas, Venezuela. The museum opened in May 1976. In 2009 it moved to a new building designed by Carlos Góm ...
, Contemporary Art Museum,
Empresas Polar Foundation and Fundación Cultural Chacao. It is found in open-air art museums in Venezuelan locations (Mérida, Valencia, Aroa and Margarita Island) as well as in Huelva (Spain) and at the
Suncheon Bay National Garden,
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
.
Recognition
In 2014 Varela was awarded the Omar Carreño Prize for
Plastic Arts
Plastic arts are art forms which involve physical manipulation of a plastic medium by molding or modeling such as sculpture or ceramics. Less often the term may be used broadly for all the visual arts (such as painting, sculpture, film and pho ...
offered jointly by the Venezuelan Architects Association and the National Association of Plastic Artists.
Varela's name is listed in established artist directories including
ULAN
Ulan may refer to:
Places
*Ulan, New South Wales, a town in Australia
*Ulan County, in Qinghai Province, China
*Ulan District, eastern Kazakhstan
*Ulan, Iran, a village in Zanjan Province
People
* Ulan, politician from Inner Mongolia, China
Mil ...
,
Artnet
Artnet.com is an art market website. It is operated by Artnet Worldwide Corporation, which has headquarters in New York City, in the United States, and is owned by Artnet AG, a German publicly traded company based in Berlin that is listed on t ...
,
Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
,
Benezit
The ''Benezit Dictionary of Artists'' (in French, ''Bénézit: Dictionnaire des peintres, sculpteurs, dessinateurs et graveurs'') is an extensive publication of bibliographical information on painters, sculptors, designers and engravers created ...
, in
Marta Traba
Marta Traba Taín (Buenos Aires, 25 January 1930 – Madrid, 27 November 1983) was an art critic and writer known for her contributions to Latin American art and literature.
Biography
Traba's parents were Catalan immigrants, Francisco Traba a ...
's ''Art of Latin America'' and in Leonard's ''Price Index of Latin American Art''.
References
External links
Abigail Varela's art website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varela, Abigail
Living people
1948 births
Venezuelan sculptors
20th-century sculptors
Modern sculptors