The Making of Art: Place, Culture & Identity

“All our knowledge has its origin in our perceptions” stated the great Renaissance artist Leonardo Da Vinci. Thus, perception and place are integral in the making of art. In this episode of ON CITIES, host Carie Penabad will speak with acclaimed artist Gonzalo Fuenmayor, whose intricate charcoal drawings and mesmerizing large-scale installations skillfully explore the complexities of place, identity and the interconnectedness of cultures. His mastery of chiaroscuro creates an ethereal atmosphere that draws the viewer into a surreal and dreamlike world while providing a powerful commentary on history, heritage and societal constructs. Tune in Friday, August 4, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST, 8:00 PST on the Voice America Variety Channel https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/4119/on-cities; and find all previous episodes on Spotify, Apple iTunes or your favorite podcast platform.

Gonzalo Fuenmayor is a Miami-based artist. He has been concerned about the effects of modernization and progress not only on natural environments, but mostly on Latin American culture and its ways of being displayed internationally through stereotypes and common places. His aim is not only to denounce banalization but also to understand its aesthetic mechanisms and cultural power. Fuenmayor received an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA in 2004, and a BFA in Fine Arts and Art Education from the School of Visual Arts in 2000. Fuenmayor has been awarded numerous prizes including a Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant in 2022, the 2020 EFG Bank Latin American Award, a 2018 Ellies Creator Award, a 2015 South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship for Visual and Media Artists, a Traveling Fellowship by the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2014, among others. He has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in USA, Latin America and Europe; his work was recently showcased in The Florida Prize 2020, at the Baker Museum in Naples, FL, a solo exhibition “Tropical Mythologies” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 2015, "Caribbean Crossroads” Exhibition at the Queens Museum, NY. His work is part of numerous private and public collections; and he is represented by Dot Fiftyone Gallery, Miami, Dolby Chadwick Gallery, San Francisco, Fernando Pradilla Gallery, Madrid and El Museo Gallery in Bogotá.