Juan Miguel Suárez

Born 1976 in Pinar del Río, Cuba. 

Suárez started to paint at a very young age; his first works date back to the age of ten. He graduated from the University of Havana in 2000 having studied Graphic Design with a focus on drawing and pictorial techniques which influenced his artistic formation.

In May 1990, at the age of fourteen, the Museum of History of Pinar del Río hosted his first solo exhibition. The exhibition consisted of twenty drawings in which he portrayed homeless of the city, obtaining the recognition of the public and critics. After an initial foray with still life and portraits, Suárez turned towards a totally new kind of realism closely associated to Hyperrealism.

Since 1995, his works have been included in numerous group survey exhibitions in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the United States including the National Museum of Fine Arts (Seoul, Korea), Triennial of Bovisa (Milan, Italy), City Hall Center (South Carolina, U.S.A.), Grand Palace of Dance (Paris, France), May Bank Gallery (Kuala Lumpur, Malasia), and Contemporary Art Museum (Pinar del Río, Cuba). Numerous articles, reviews, and publications have been written about Suárez in many publications, including The Miami Herald, Latin American Art Magazine, Revista Arte Cubano, Tabloide Arte Cubano, and The New York Times. 

From 2003 to 2014 he portrayed Cuban art personalities such as Harold Gramatges, Miguel Barnet, Luis Carbonell, Abelardo Estorino and many more.

From 2005 to 2009 his work was exhibited in several international art events, represented by Cernuda Arte Gallery, including Art Miami (Florida, U.S.A), Art Basel (Florida, U.S.A.), Palm Beach (Florida, U.S.A.), Hamptons Exhibitions (New York, U.S.A.), Art of the Main (New York, U.S.A.), ICA Fair (New York, U.S.A.), Art DC (Washington DC, U.S.A.), Art Americas (Florida, U.S.A.), and Circa International Art Fair (San Juan of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico)

In 2007 the organizers of the International Caribbean Art Fair "ICA Fair" in New York selected a work by Juan Miguel Suarez to illustrate the cover of the catalog of that event.

At the end of 2008, Suárez took part in an international tour of contemporary Cuban artists which started at House America (Madrid, Spain) and continued at the Grand Palace of Dance (Paris, France), The Triennial of Bovisa (Milan, Italy), and National Museum of Fine Arts (Seoul, Korea).

In 2012, the government of Cuba requested Juan Miguel Suárez to paint a portrait of Pope Benedict XVI as a present for his visit to the island. Three years later the story was repeated, this time with a portrait of Pope Francis. Both portraits turned out to be excellent works of art, and Suárez was hired by the Vatican Embassy in Cuba (Apostolic Nunciature) to paint a portrait of the deceased Pope, his Holiness John Paul II in 2015. His paintings are included in private, public and corporate collections in The Vatican, United States, France, Italy, Austria, Scotland, Spain, Malaysia, China, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Cuba.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 

Contemporary Art Museum, Pinar del Río, Cuba National Museum of Fine Arts, Seoul, Korea Triennial of Bovisa, Milan, Italy

City Hall Center, South Carolina, U.S.A. Grand Palace of  Dance, Paris,France May Bank Gallery, Kuala Lumpur,Malasia

Arteaméricas 2007, Miami Beach, FL, U.S.A. Museum of History of Pinar delRío

Art DC, District of Columbia, U.S.A. Art Off the Main, New York, NY, U.S.A Art Miami, Miami Beach, FL,U.S.A.

Important Cuban Artworks, Volume V, Cernuda Arte, Coral Gables, FL, U.S.A. Salón de Arte Contemporáneo, Seville, Spain.

Expo Arte Cubano, Córdoba, Spain

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

The New York Times The Miami Herald

Latin American Art Magazine Revista Arte Cubano

Cover Art, International Caribbean Art Fair, New York, NY

COMMISSIONS

Cuban National Government (portrait of Pope Benedict XVI) Cuban National Government (portrait of Pope Francis) Vatican Embassy in Cuba (portrait of John Paul II)

COLLECTIONS

private, public and corporate collections in The Vatican, United States, France, Italy, Austria, Scotland, Spain, Malaysia, China, Costa Rica, Mexico and Cuba.

EDUCATION

Graduate Institute of Industrial Design (ISDI), Havana, Cuba Vocational School of Arts, Pinar del Río, Cuba