Cesar Santos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cesar Santos
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Cesar Raul Perez Santos
July 10, 1982 Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
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Cesar Santos (born July 10, 1982) is a talented artist from Cuba who now lives in America. He is famous for his unique painting style called "Syncretism". This is a special way he combines two or more different art ideas in one painting, making them look balanced and beautiful.
Cesar Santos has created many artworks for people and places all over the world. His paintings have been shown in important museums, like the Annigoni Museum in Italy, the Beijing Museum in China, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sicily. He is also part of the Living Masters' Gallery at the Art Renewal Center.
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Cesar Santos: Early Life and Learning
Cesar Santos was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, on July 10, 1982. When he was a kid, he loved boxing and even competed in local tournaments. But he also started learning about art at a young age. His uncle, Raul Santos Zerpa, was a well-known Cuban painter in the 1960s, and he really inspired Cesar.
In 1995, Cesar and his family moved to the United States. There, he was accepted into the Design and Architecture Senior High School. After finishing high school, he went to the New World School of the Arts to study visual arts.
While studying art, Cesar also explored acting from 2000 to 2004. He acted in several plays and TV shows. However, he wasn't happy with the modern art style taught at his school. So, he decided to leave and travel to Italy. He wanted to learn older, classical painting techniques. In Florence, Italy, he joined the Angel Academy of Arts. There, he studied the methods used by artists during the Renaissance and in the 18th and 19th centuries. When he left the US for Italy, he also stopped his acting career to focus completely on art.
Cesar's Art Journey
In 2006, Cesar finished his training in Florence and returned to Miami. At first, he painted still life pictures, which are paintings of objects like fruit or flowers. But he soon felt something was missing. He started adding people and figures into his artworks.
In 2007, he was asked to create the official poster for the Miami International Ballet Festival. He made a poster called Danza Impossible, which means "Impossible Dance." People loved it! The next year, he was asked to make the poster for the Miami International Film Festival 2008.
In 2008, Cesar moved to Stockholm, Sweden. He started teaching art and holding workshops there. Besides being an artist and teacher, he also continued his boxing training. He even won a gold medal in a boxing competition called the Angered Centrum Box Cup!
In 2010, Santos moved to New York City. This is where he began working on his famous "Syncretism" series. This collection of paintings became very well-known. In these artworks, he combined famous images from artists like Pollock, Calder, and Picasso. "Syncretism" is about bringing together different ideas or styles that might seem opposite, but then they create something new and unified. Cesar wanted to show how art styles from the past six centuries could fit together.
While in New York, he won first place in a contest at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2010 for his photograph Dancers. In 2014, he won first prize in a portrait painting competition at the Grand Central Academy of Art. He also won first prize at the Concept Art Fair during Art Basel week.
Cesar Santos has also shared his painting knowledge with others. He released a 4-disc DVD called Secrets of Portrait Painting. In it, he shows how he paints portraits step-by-step, using his wife as a model. He often travels around the world to give talks and teach his painting techniques, especially about how to paint faces and bodies.
What Makes His Art Special?
Cesar Santos's art mixes old and new ideas in one painting. He learned classical techniques from the Renaissance, but he also uses modern art styles. One art review said that Cesar "combines the classical and the contemporary in his paintings."
Cesar explains that his "syncretic" work aims to create a new kind of painting. It takes ideas from earlier art stages and blends opposing styles to form something completely new and whole. His training in both classical painting and modern art helps him create lively paintings with rich colors and expressive figures.
While he started by painting still life, Cesar later focused on painting people and living things. His "Syncretism" series and other works show this change. He mostly uses oil paints on linen, which helps him achieve his "neo-academic" style. He believes that artists, like poets, should be able to express their feelings through their tools.
Cesar also has a YouTube channel where he shares painting tutorials and other videos about art.
Solo Exhibitions
Cesar Santos has had many solo art shows where his work was featured all by itself. Some of these include:
- 2015 - Cesar Santos Drawings at Waltman Ortega Fine Art
- 2013 - The Artist's Accomplice at Oxenberg Fine Arts
- 2011 - Paisajes y Retratos at National Gallery, San Jose, Costa Rica
- 2011 - Syncretrism at Eleanor Ettinger Chelsea
Awards and Honors
Cesar Santos has won many awards for his amazing artwork:
- Grand Prize and People's Choice Award, Academy of Realist Art Boston Figure Painting Competition - 2016
- First Prize, Cosmic Connection, Concept Art Fair (Art Basel Week) - 2014
- First Prize, Grand Central Academy Portrait Sketch Competition - 2013
- Miami Dade College Hall of Fame Award - 2013
- Grand Prize Winner, ACOPAL's open competition, "Out of the Square" - 2011
- First Place, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, It's Time We Met Contest, "Dancers" - 2010
