Zilia Sánchez

Zilia Sánchez's art is distinguished by her unique style of formal abstraction, employing undulating silhouettes, a subdued color palette, and a distinctive, sensual language.

Zilia Sánchez: Artistic Genesis in Havana

Born in Havana in 1928, Zilia Sánchez began her artistic journey at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes de San Alejandro. Representing Cuba at international platforms such as the Bienal de México and Bienal de São Paulo, she gained acclaim.

Sánchez's early years in Havana marked a pivotal period where, amidst political turbulence, she embraced abstraction as a powerful means of expression. This era also witnessed the birth of her "Afrocubanos" series, an exploration of abstracted figures referencing ritual practices. These iconic works, resembling bodily shapes with abstract qualities, delve into formalist concerns and societal issues.

Her signature style involves stretching canvas over hand-molded wooden armatures and painting them with acrylic. These works explore the intersections between the feminine and masculine, the painterly and sculptural, and the personal and universal. The reduced color palettes and serial processes connect her to Minimalism, but the sensual curves in her work establish a language that is distinctly her own.

From Havana to New York: Explorations in Nontraditional Materials

As a result of the Cuban Revolution, Sánchez decided to move to New York in 1962. Her departure marked the beginning of a dynamic phase in her artistic evolution. Settling in New York amidst a vibrant community of émigré artists, she became an active participant in the city's cultural milieu.

Amidst graphic and set design work, Sánchez continued to develop her paintings, venturing into experimentation with unconventional materials like sawdust, resin, and wax. This period produced notable works such as "Agua" (1961) and "Tierra" (1968), exploring elemental themes, and more abstract pieces like "Ecuación" (1963) and "Sucesión" (1966).

Continuing Legacy of Zilia Sánchez

Since 1971, Zilia Sánchez has called San Juan, Puerto Rico, her home and creative sanctuary. Here, her art takes on a distinctive character marked by a profound celebration of the female form. In a deliberate departure from the rigidity of European modernism, Sánchez infuses her geometric abstractions with a feminist, sensorial perspective.

Her works, attentive to the female experience and inspired by mythical and real women’s lives, have been exhibited globally. In Puerto Rico, she created monumental designs on apartment building facades and contributed to the cultural discourse through teaching and collaboration. Zilia Sánchez's enduring impact on the art world is evident in the accolades she received, her involvement in women's art associations, and the international recognition of her exhibitions.