Much of 2022 I dedicated myself to following the trail of the life and work of the great Dominican surrealist Iván Tovar. To date, many chapters remain to be reviewed in the interesting, enigmatic and memorable career of a human being with a noble spirit, endowed with sincerity and a certain irreverence, even towards himself.
Understanding the paths of the artist, has placed me in a position in which I have had to meet him in an imaginary way, review the reality that he had to live and, in a reflective attitude, value each element in its context.
Iván Tovar was misunderstood in his time, since he did not pay attention to forms and impositions. He was so unique that he wouldn’t say hello if he didn’t feel empathy for his fellow man. Instead, he was splendid with those who enjoyed his affection.
I feel highly grateful to God, to the staff of elCaribe, to the patience of my family and my colleagues Jessica Bonifacio, Jenny Luna, José Nova, María Esperanza Pérez Roque and Máximo Jiménez. Of those who, without knowing me, have allowed me to travel back in time and rescue the fragments of the artist’s life. It has been months of great compilation work that does not end, of searches, interviews, discoveries and great emotions.
First of all, my thanks to the Iván Tovar Foundation and the artist’s family, Daniela Tovar and María Castillo. In a very special way to those who have been the true impetus on this journey, Héctor José Rizek, Yuri Ruiz, Ranier Sebelén, Margarita Quiroz, Emely Tueni, Simona Cappelli, Dania and Virginia Goris, Sandy Morales, Juan Eligio Almonte, Guillermo Dorado , Karim Abu Naba’a, George and Francisco Nader.
Likewise, my gratitude goes to Isaac Rudman, Edwin Espinal, Juan Julio Bodden, Ivonne Muess Llabaly, Genoveva Brea, Carmen Latife and Salomón Rizek Llabaly, Níguel Tobar, and the brothers José Rafael, Elba and Claudia Ordeix Llabaly.
I never imagined that a series of publications about the artist would emerge from my curiosity, but my biggest surprise has been finding a dense and significant archive that endorses the career of the great creator that Iván Tovar embodied.
