Tomás Batista (born December 7, 1935) is a Puerto Rican sculptor. He is the creator of some of Puerto Rico's most notable monuments.

Early years

Batista (birth name: Tomás Batista Encarnación) was born and raised in

Luquillo, Puerto Rico Luquillo () is a Luquillo barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northeast coast, northwest of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Fajardo; and east of Río Grande, Puerto Rico, Rio Grande. Luquillo i ...

, a town located in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico. His family was poor, but he did well in school and finished high school. His family recognized that their son had talent as an artist at a young age. After graduating from high school, he moved to San Juan to continue his education. There he met and went to work with the Spanish artist,

Ángel Botello Ángel Botello (June 20, 1913 – November 11, 1986), full name Ángel Botello y Barros, was a Spanish- Puerto Rican painter, sculptor and graphic artist. He was dubbed "The Caribbean Gauguin" for his use of bold colors and depictions of island ...

. In 1955, while working with Botello, Batista discovered that he had a natural talent to work with the restoration process in wood. He learned from Botello the secrets of restoration and how to work with gold on wood. In 1957, he realized his first work of art, the ''

Crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the condemned is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross, beam or stake and left to hang until eventual death. It was used as a punishment by the Achaemenid Empire, Persians, Ancient Carthag ...

''. Tomas Batista In 1958, Batista was awarded a grant and studied sculpting at the

Puerto Rican Institute of Culture Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Oriental Mi ...

under the direction of the Maestro Compostela. Batista also studied art in

La Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes La Esmeralda LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

on a

Guggenheim fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

in 1960 and in the Instituto de Cultura Hispánica in Spain. In 1966, he was named director of the Department of Sculpture and Restoration of the Puerto Rican Institute of Culture. In 1972, Batista spent a year in Spain, where he created the busts of

Eugenio María de Hostos Eugenio María de Hostos y de Bonilla (January 11, 1839 – August 11, 1903), known as ("The Great Citizen of the Americas"), was a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican educator, philosopher, intellectual, lawyer, sociologist, novelist, and Puerto Rican ...

and

Ramón Emeterio Betances Ramón Emeterio Betances y Alacán (April 8, 1827 – September 16, 1898) was a Puerto Rican independence leader, abolitionist and medical doctor. He led the nations independence movement and was the primary instigator of the ''Grito de Lares' ...

Sculptures

He created is Monumento al Jíbaro Puertorriqueño (Monument to the Common Puerto Rican Countryman) in

Cayey Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north east of Salinas and north of Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east o ...

. In this monument Batista reflects the humbleness and hard working nature of the typical Puerto Rican farmer and his family. The monument is located by the

Luis A. Ferré Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo (February 17, 1904 October 21, 2003) was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. He was the governor of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973. He was the founder of the ...

Highway in Cayey. Among Batista's other works are the sculptures of

Julia de Burgos Julia Constanza Burgos García (February 17, 1914 – July 6, 1953), known as Julia de Burgos, was a Puerto Ricans, Puerto Rican poet, journalist, Independence movement in Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican independence advocate, and teacher. As an advo ...

in Carolina,

Hayuya Hayuya (born c. 1470s) was the Taíno Cacique (Chief) who governed the area in Puerto Rico which now bears his name (which is now spelled " Jayuya"). Arrival of the Conquistadors When the Spaniards arrived in "Borikén" (the Taíno name for Puert ...

Jayuya Jayuya () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...

, and Rafael Hernández in Bayamón. In 1993, he unveiled the monument of the Cacique Loguillo which is located in his hometown.

Awards and recognition

He received a second place prize in sculpture in "Concurso Esso para Artistas Jóvenes" held in San Juan in November 1964. His stone sculpture, "Caracol," subsequently traveled to Washington, DC, where it was part of the Puerto Rican delegation in the Esso Salon of Young Artists, a contest held in 1965 for young Latin American artists sponsored by the Pan American Union and

Esso Esso () is a trading name for ExxonMobil. Originally, the name was primarily used by its predecessor Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the original Standard Oil company in 1911. The company adopted the name "Esso" (from the phon ...

.''Concurso Esso para artistas jóvenes'', exh. cat.,(San Juan, Puerto Rico: Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, November 1964); ''ESSO SALON OF YOUNG ARTISTS/SALONG ESSO DE ARTISTAS JOVENES. Sponsored by the Pan-American Union and Esso'', (Washington, DC: Pan-American Union, 1965). In 1976, he was named "The Most Outstanding Young Man in Puerto Rico" by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1987 Batista was awarded the "Medalla de la Orden del Quinto Centenario" ("Medal of the Order of the 5th Century"), during the commemoration of Puerto Rico's discovered by

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus (; between 25 August and 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italians, Italian explorer and navigator from the Republic of Genoa who completed Voyages of Christopher Columbus, four Spanish-based voyages across the At ...

. The City of Bayamón is the sponsor of Batista's work with a permanent exposition in the Salón Batista. In 1991, a permanent exhibition of his works was also established in his native city of Luquillo. Tomás Batista's works of art are found in museums in Puerto Rico, New York and

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, and also in private collections. Batista currently travels around the island and abroad giving conferences about his art.

Gallery

References

External links