Daniel Lind-Ramos facts for kids

Daniel Lind-Ramos (born 1953) is a famous Afro-Puerto Rican artist from Puerto Rico. He is known for creating amazing sculptures and paintings, often using everyday objects he finds.

Early Life and Education

Daniel Lind-Ramos was born in 1953 in Loíza, a town on the coast of Puerto Rico. His community and its rich Afro-Caribbean culture have always been a big inspiration for his art.

He went to college to study art. In 1975, he studied painting at the University of Puerto Rico. Later, he moved to the United States and earned a master's degree in art from New York University (NYU) in 1980. Besides making his own art, Lind-Ramos also works as a professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, where he teaches students about art and culture.

Art Style and Famous Works

Figura De Poder (2016-2022) was shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2022.

Lind-Ramos is a painter and a sculptor. When he paints, he uses oil paints on canvas. He applies the paint in interesting ways, using everything from regular brushes to spatulas.

His sculptures are especially unique because he makes them from found and recycled objects. He might use old car parts, broken appliances, parts of coconut trees, or even broken musical instruments. By putting these items together, he gives them a new life and meaning.

Maria Maria

One of his most famous sculptures is called Maria Maria. It became a highlight of the 2019 Whitney Biennial, a major art show in New York. The New York Times said the sculpture showed the "power of spirituality."

Lind-Ramos created Maria Maria using wood, beads, coconuts, and a blue tarp from the FEMA. The sculpture represents both the Virgin Mary and the powerful Hurricane Maria that hit Puerto Rico in 2017. Art critics called the piece "presidingly majestic."

Exhibitions

Lind-Ramos's art has been shown in museums and galleries all over the world.

• El Viejo Griot (2023): He had a solo show at MoMA PS1 in Queens, New York. The exhibition, which means "The Elder Storyteller — A Story of All of Us," featured large sculptures about the impact of Hurricane Maria. One piece, María de los Sustentos (Mary of Nourishment), was made from pots, pans, and farming tools to represent daily life in his community.
• Afro-Atlantic Histories (2022): His work was part of a big international exhibition that traveled to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
• São Paulo Biennial (2023): He was also featured in the 35th São Paulo Biennial in Brazil, a very important art event.

Awards and Recognition

Lind-Ramos has received many awards for his incredible work.

• In 2021, he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, which is sometimes called a "genius grant." It is given to very talented people in different fields.
• In 2020, he received the Pérez Prize from the Pérez Art Museum Miami. The museum gave him the award to honor his dedication to showing Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latin American culture in his art.
• He won first prize at the Salon International Val D’or in France in 1990.
• In 1989, he received a scholarship to study art in Paris, France, at the famous Ecole des Beaux Arts.

Museum Collections

You can see Daniel Lind-Ramos's art in the permanent collections of major museums. This means the museums own his work and can display it for everyone to see. Some of these museums include:

• Whitney Museum of American Art (New York)
• Pérez Art Museum Miami (Florida)
• Museum of Latin American Art (California)
• El Museo del Barrio (New York)
• Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art (Puerto Rico)