Tomas Oliva Sr.

1930 — 1996

Born September 11, 1930 in Havana, Cuba.
Died November 2, 1996 in Miami, Florida, USA.

Artist Biography & Studies

Year(s)	Studies	Location
1945-1952	School of San Alejandro	Havana, Cuba
1952	Visual Animation for movies (Prof. Ivan Zeiler)	Havana, Cuba
1953	Royal School of Ceramic La Moncloa	Madrid, Spain
1954	Ecole du Mosaic de Ravene et Ceramique (Prof. Gino Severine)	Paris, France
1960	Stage Design (Prof. Ladislav Vihodill)	Havana, Cuba

Selected Solo Exhibitions

Year	Exhibition / Venue	Location
1954	“Abstract Art”, Fernando Fe Gallery	Madrid, Spain
1954	“Tomas Oliva”, Clan Gallery	Madrid, Spain
1963	“Tomas Oliva: Sculptures”, VII Bienal de São Paulo (Seventh Brazil Biennial)	São Paulo, Brazil
1980	"Oliva, Sculptures", Meeting Point Art Center	Miami, Florida, USA
1982	"Tomas Oliva's Sculptures", Ana Sklar Gallery	Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, USA
1987	“Tomas Oliva: Sculpture”, Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture	Miami, Florida, USA
1988	“Les Trois Ameriques”, Centre Culturel Paul Dumail	Tonneins, France
1993	“Hugo Consuegra, Guido Llinas, Tomas Oliva: The Reunion”, Jadite Gallery	New York, USA
2001	“Homenaje a: Tomás Oliva”, Alpha Gallery (posthumous)	Miami, Florida, USA
2002	“Uno de los Once”, Galería Servando Cabrera (posthumous)	Habana, Cuba

Selected Exhibitions

Year	Exhibition	Location
1953	Nuestro Tiempo Gallery, “15 Young Painters and Sculptors”	Havana, Cuba
1953	La Rampa Gallery, “Eleven Painters and Sculptors” (First exhibition of The Eleven - Los Once)	Havana, Cuba
1954	Lyceum Society, “Contemporary Cuban Art”	Havana, Cuba
1954	Lyceum Society, “The Eleven Painters and Sculptors”	Havana, Cuba
1954	Clan Gallery, “Tomas Oliva”	Madrid, Spain
1954	Fernando Fe Gallery, “Abstract Art”	Madrid, Spain
1955	Salon des Realités Nouvelles, (IX Salon)	Paris, France
1955	Santiago de Cuba Gallery, “The Eleven”	Santiago, Cuba
1955	Lyceum Society, “Cuban Painters and Sculptors”	Camagüey, Cuba
1955	Galleria Sudamericana, “Contemporary Cuban Group”	New York, USA
1957	Sardio Gallery, “Cuban Abstract Painting in Venezuela”	Caracas, Venezuela
1957	Lyceum Society, “Tomas Oliva / Guido Llinás”	Havana, Cuba
1957	La Habana Gallery, “Hommage to Monzon”	Havana, Cuba
1957	Ignacio Agramonte Museum, “Contemporary Painting and Sculpture”	Camagüey, Cuba
1958	Cuban Arts Center, “Contemporary Painting and Sculpture”	Havana, Cuba
1958	Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), “Cuban Painting”	Havana, Cuba
1959	Lyceum Society, “Los Cinco”	Havana, Cuba
1959	Arte Contemporaneo Gallery, “Two Cuban Abstract Artists”	Caracas, Venezuela
1960	Palacio de Bellas Artes, "II Bienal Interamericana de Mexico"	Mexico, D. F.
1960	Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), “8 Painters and Sculptors”	Havana, Cuba
1961	Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion in the Parque do Ibirapuera, "VI Sao Paulo Biennial"	São Paulo, Brazil
1963	Havana Gallery (Galería Habana), “Group Exhibition”	Havana, Cuba
1963	Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion in the Parque do Ibirapuera, "VII Bienal de São Paulo"	São Paulo, Brazil
1963	Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Universidad de Chile, “1ra Bienal Americana de Grabado”	Santiago, Chile
1964	National Museum of Arts (MNBA), “Artist of the Month, Drawings and Sculptures”	Havana, Cuba
1964	National Museum of Arts (MNBA), “National Salon 1964”	Havana, Cuba
1967	Cuban Pavilion (Pabellón Cuba), “23th May Salon”	Havana, Cuba
1967	Museum of Modern Art of Paris, “23th May Salon”	Paris, France
1967	Ewan Phillips Gallery, “Contemporary Cuban Art”	London, England
1967	Sala 23 Museum of Modern Art, “Inaugural Exhibition”	Havana, Cuba
1968	Museum of Modern Art of Paris, “24th May Salon”	Paris, France
1968	Cuban Pavilion, “Montreal World Fair”	Montreal, Canada
1976	Metropolitan Museum of Art, 81st Street Gallery, “Spanish American Painters and Sculptors”	New York, USA
1978	Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, “Reencuentro Cubano”	Miami, Florida, USA
1978	Lowe Art Museum, “Latin American Artists of the Southeastern United States”	Coral Gables, Florida, USA
1978	Museum of Modern Art of Latin America, “Hispanic American Artists of the United States”	Washington DC, USA
1979	De Armas Gallery, “The Caribbean Exhibition”	Miami, Florida, USA
1982	Ana Sklar Gallery, “Sculpture: Tomas Oliva”	Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, USA
1983	Lanvin Gallery, “New Works”	Miami, Florida, USA
1986	VIII Autumn Salon “Guy Perez Cisneros”	Miami, Florida, USA
1987	Bass Museum of Art, “NADA Group Exhibition”	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
1987	Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, “Colaboraciones”	Miami, Florida, USA
1987	Metropolitan Museum and Art Center, “Art of Cuba in Exile”	Coral Gables, Florida, USA
1987	Galería Dos, “Artists of Miami”	Miami, Florida, USA
1988	Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, “Tomas Oliva: Sculpture”	Miami, Florida, USA
1988	OK South Gallery, “Casa Nueva Vida Art Auction”	South Miami, Florida, USA
1988	Cultural Center Paul Dumail, “Painting Exhibition”	Tonneins, France
1988	Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, “Portraits and Self-Portraits”	Miami, Florida, USA
1988	The John J. Koubek Memorial Center Fine Art Gallery, “Exposición IX Salón de Otoño Jesús Casagrán”	Miami, Florida, USA
1988	Federation of Cuban Teachers of Fine Arts, P.A.C.H.A. Gallery, “Mosaico Navideno”	Miami, Florida, USA
1989	Cuban Museum of Arts and Culture, “Nada by the Group NADA”	Miami, Florida, USA
1989	North Miami Center of Contemporary Art, “NADA 14, A One Night stand”	North Miami, Florida, USA
1993	Jadite Galleries, “Hugo Consuegra, Guido Llinas, Tomas Oliva, a Reunion”	New York City, USA
1997	Fort Lauderdale Art Museum, “Breaking Barriers”	Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
2003	Maxoly Cuban Art Gallery, “Los Once 50 Aniversario 1953-2003” (posthumous)	Miami, Florida, USA
2003	Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA), “Uno, Dos, Tres…¡Once!” (posthumous)	La Habana, Cuba.

Awards

First Place, National Award for Sculpture, National Museum of Art, Havana, Cuba.
First Place, National Award for Sculpture, National Museum of Art, Havana, Cuba.
First National Award for Sculpture, “Palma de Plata”, Periódico Revolución, 1960.
Honorable Mention, 24th May Salon, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, France, 1968.
Best in Show, IX Autumn Salon “Jesus Casagran”, Federation of Cuban Teachers of Fine Arts, Miami, Florida, USA.

Permanent Collections and Public Works

National Museum of Art, Havana, Cuba: Several works in iron, steel.
Ignacio Agramonte Museum, Camagüey, Cuba: Work in iron.
University of Havana, Cuba: Work in iron.
University of Oriente, Santiago, Cuba: Work in wood (ácana).
Department of Transportation Building, Havana, Cuba: Work in steel.
La Coubre Park, Havana, Cuba: Work in steel (fragments from the wreck).
National School of Ballet, Havana, Cuba: Ballet: Espacio y Movimiento, stainless steel.
Zoological Park, Havana, Cuba: Several works in steel.
Thermoelectrical Plant of Nuevitas, Camagüey, Cuba: Work in iron (hierro directo).
House of Cuban Culture, Prague, Czech Republic: Work in iron.
Alberto Alcocer Building, Madrid, Spain: Work in steel (acero directo).
Avila House Building, Madrid, Spain: Work in copper, bronze and light.
Los Juncales Chalet, Orusco, Spain: Work in copper, bronze and light.
The Art Museum at Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA: Work in steel.
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA: .("Untitled", painted steel, 81" x 24" x 14").