Pedro León Zapata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pedro León Zapata |
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Zapata during the event "Dibujo Libre", 5 May 2008
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| Born | 27 February 1929 La Grita, Táchira, Venezuela |
| Died | 6 February 2015 (aged 85) Distrito Capital, Caracas, Venezuela |
| Nationality | Venezuelan |
| Area(s) | Artist, cartoonist |
| Awards | "Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas" (1980), "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" (1967) |
Pedro León Zapata (born February 27, 1929 – died February 6, 2015) was a very important artist, humorist, and cartoonist from Venezuela. He was famous for his smart and funny drawings that often made people think about important topics.
Life and Art Journey
In 1945, Pedro León Zapata started studying at the "Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Caracas" (Caracas School of Plastic Arts). But in 1947, he left to help start a new art workshop called "Taller La Barraca de Maripérez." This is where he showed his first artworks.
That same year, he traveled to Mexico. He wanted to learn from famous mural painters like Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco. He studied at different schools and workshops there, learning new art techniques.
After eleven years, Zapata came back to Venezuela. He became an art teacher at the Architecture School of the Central University of Venezuela. He also taught at the "Escuela de Artes Plásticas Cristóbal Rojas."
In 1959, he started drawing caricatures for newspapers. Caricatures are funny drawings of people or situations, often used to make a point. He first drew for a newspaper called Dominguito.
Later, in 1965, he started his own special column in the newspaper El Nacional. It was called "Zapatazos." This column became a very important place for him to share his thoughts. He used his cartoons to comment on what was happening in Venezuelan society and politics.
In 1968, his first collection of these cartoons was put into a book. It was titled Las Elecciones de Zapata.
Exhibitions and Awards
Zapata's paintings were shown in many special art shows. One big show was called "Todo el museo para Zapata" (All the museum for Zapata). It happened at the Sofía Ímber Museum of Contemporary Art in 1975.
He won important awards for his work. In 1967, he received the "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" (National Journalism Prize). In 1980, he won the "Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas" (National Plastic Arts Prize).
In 1992, he helped design the images for Latin American Film Festivals. These festivals took place in Biarritz, France, and Trieste, Italy.
In 1999, he finished a huge mural. A mural is a very large painting on a wall. This mural was 1,500 square meters big! It is called "Conductores de Venezuela" (Drivers of Venezuela). You can see it at the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas. It shows important Venezuelan leaders from history driving all sorts of vehicles.
Public Discussions
One of Zapata's daily cartoons in El Nacional caused a lot of discussion in 2000. It was talked about on "Aló Presidente," a TV show hosted by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
The cartoon showed Zapata's view that Venezuelan society was becoming more military-focused. This was because of some of Chávez's policies at the time. For example, many former military officers were given government jobs. Also, there was a plan to add military training to high schools.
President Chávez asked for an explanation of the cartoon. He even suggested that Zapata had been paid to draw it. Zapata responded with another cartoon. In it, he asked Chávez, "Hugo Rafael, how much were you paid to promote the cartoon?" This was because the newspaper sales and Zapata's fame grew because of the discussion.
In February 2005, Zapata received an honorary PhD from the Central University of Venezuela. This is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
Written Works
- "Zapata contra Pinochet" (Caracas: Ediciones Barricada 1980)
- "Caracas: Monte y Culebra" (Caracas: Pomaire 1987) ISBN: 980-290-021-4
- (with Salvador Garmendia) "Crónicas Sádicas" (Caracas: Pomaire1990) ISBN: 980-290-046-X
- "¡Zapata...Firme!: un país en blanco y negro" (Caracas: Ediciones EG 2001) ISBN: 980-6386-24-8
See also
In Spanish: Pedro León Zapata para niños
- National Prize of Plastic Arts of Venezuela
