MADRID, Spain.- Cuban painter Baruj Salinas, an emblematic figure of contemporary art, passed away in Miami this Sunday, August 18, at the age of 89. The news of his death was confirmed by the artist Jesús Rosado, who referred to Salinas as “a paradigm of modesty, human nobility and spirituality.”
In a Facebook post, Rosado expressed his gratitude for “the tireless investigation into the existential mystery so inscrutable to ordinary perception,” thus bidding farewell to the painter.
Born in Havana in 1935, his first collective exhibition took place at the National Museum of Fine Arts of Cuba, shortly before leaving the Island in 1960. After emigrating to the United States, he settled in Miami, where he developed most of his prolific artistic career. In Miami, he co-founded the Group of Latin American Artists (GALA) with artists such as Rafael Soriano and José Mijares.
His work is recognized worldwide for the fusion of abstract elements with influences from Jewish and Cuban culture.
In his websiteSalinas shared details about his artistic evolution, highlighting that he began as a realist painter, greatly influenced by his studies in architecture. However, a scientific event, the moon landing in the late 1960s, transformed his artistic vision, leading him to move away from the figurative to immerse himself in the world of abstraction. The New York School of Abstract Expressionism was instrumental in this transition.
In 1974, he traveled to Madrid and later moved to Barcelona, where he became friends with prominent artists such as Antoni Tàpies, Joan Miró, Saura and Chillida.
Salinas pioneered the use of mixed media and vibrant colors to express the complexity of his subjects. His works have been exhibited in major galleries and museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in Bogotá, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Miami, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.
His work as a teacher is also notable, especially in the classrooms of Miami Dade College, where he trained numerous artists beginning in 1995.
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