Fernando Tovar is a Latin-american artist and architect who works and lives in Miami. Studied at Universidad de los Andes and Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia, where he received a degree in architecture. He was Invited Professor of Architectural Design at Universidad Javeriana. Later on, studied art for four years at the School of the Museum of Fine Art in Boston. During that time, won a second award at the V Domecq Ibero-American Biennial in Mexico, he was selected to participate in the in the Pan American Graphic Art Portafolio and has participated as a juror in several art exhibitions.
"The main ingredient in Tovar’ artwork is the handling of light. As Caravaggio did, the artist uses light in an arbitrary way to emphasize the aspects that he wants to outline. But light is not limited only to a passive role, but actively stimulates the senses of the observer and introduces the chiaroscuro that puts together the elements of the composition. Tovar also uses light, to create an atmosphere of quiet intimacy that encourages a reflection on sensuality.Just as their women are a tribute to the human anatomy, the still lifes of fruits or giant vegetables are a pretext to make a tribute to nature and a poetic appeal to offer a hopeful vision of the world. Tovar uses a controlled range of colors sepia with some intrusions of green or blue that excel because of its insularity." (1)
In his recent paintings, Tovar uses uncomplicated strokes of his earlier work to propose new, semi-abstract compositions reminiscent of his childhood experiences, and even though blurred by time; he materializes them through images of the cosmos. His artwork brings to mind the telluric Obregon and Roda’s rigorous and strong strokes which allows him to address from themes of Garcia Lorca's poetry with its mythical gypsies and the lack of measure of the Caribbean region where the violence of the sea and the grandeur of mountains to volcanoes with images of clouds and moons getting a thematic unity in his paintings.
Continuing his artistic research he maintains his bright colors of earth tones on which the Mexican critic Luis Carlos Emerich wrote: "... the Colombian (Tovar), more powerful and luminous, more subtle and more ‘painter’, bet undeniable beauty to claim the place of honor in the viewers taste. (2)
(1) Eduardo Marceles Daconte. Colombian art critic.
(2) Revista Novedades, "Naturaleza Muerta Exhumada" Luis Carlos Emerich
EXHIBITIONS
ONE MAN SHOW
2000 Aroca Gallery. Coral Gables,US.
1997 Galería La Aduana. Barranquilla, Colombia
1995 Ganadero Financial Center Art Gallery. Miami, US.
1987 Galería Quintero. Coral Gables, US. 1984 Galería Quintero. Barranquilla, Colombia.
1981 Galería Confamiliar. Barranquilla, Colombia.
1980 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia. 1979 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS.
2008 Coleccion Institucional, Galeria La Aduana, Barranquilla, Colombia
2006 XVIII Festival de la Cultura en la Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
2005 Arte del Caribe Colombiano en los 100 años del Atlantico, Barranquilla, Colombia
2003 Agora Gallery, Nueva York, US.
2000 Galería Imagen, Panama.
Feria Internacional de Arte. Caracas, Venezuela. Invited by Francisco Nader Gallery.
W.I.S.O. Art Auction, Panama,
Casa Cultural de Republica Dominicana. Montreal, Canada. Invited by Francisco Nader Gallery .
Senado de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. X Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach. Invited by Galeria Francisco Nader.
1999 W.I.S.O Art '99. Miami, U.S.
"Latin-American Art Exhibition", Center Gallery, Miami Dade Community College, Miami US.
Galería Imagen Panamá. Feria de Arte Mirarte. Bogota, Colombia. Invitado por la Galeria Nader.
Galería Francisco Nader. Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana.
V W.I.S.O. Art Exhibition, Miami. US.
1993 Irving Galleries. Palm Beach, US.
Feria Internacional de Arte. Caracas, Venezuela. Invited by Galería Quintero.
Weiss-Sori Fine Art, Coral Gables,
III W.I.S.O. Art Exhibition, Miami,
III Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach. Invitado por la Galeria Quintero.
1992 Irving Galleries. Palm Beach,
Salon de Arte de las Americas. Viña del Mar, Chile.
II Miami Art Fair, Miami Bach, U.S.A. Invitado por la Galeria Quintero.
1992 The Americas Collection, Coral Gables. Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo, Santa Marta, Colombia.
1991 Feria Internacional de Arte, Bogota, Colombia. Invitado por la Galeria Elida Lara.
I Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach.
Galería Quintero, Barranquilla, Colombia
1990 Van Cleef Fine Arts. Miami.
1988 Galería La Tertulia. Cali, Colombia, Portafolio Grafico Pan-Americano.
Galería Quintero. Barranquilla, Colombia.
Grossman Gallery. School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Boston.
1987 XII Portafolio Internacional de Grabado Coleccion Carton de Colombia. Cali, Colombia
1986 Museum of Modern Art of Latin American Organization of American States. "Eight Young colombian Artists" Washington D.C.
V Bienal Iberoamericana de Arte, México, DF
Centro Cultural Skandia. Bogota, Colombia
1982 The Americas Collection Gallery " Colombian Masters" Miami, U.S.
1983 Galería Elida Lara, Barranquilla, Colombia
Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos, Barranquilla, Colombia.
1981 I Salón de Arte Contemporáneo. Barranquilla. Colombia "Panorama Artístico Colombiano". Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
1979 XXVII Colombian Artists Exhibition, Bogota, Colombia.
1977 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
1976 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
CHARITY
2001 U.S. Colombian Medical Association. Coral Gables, US
1990 Hospital Universitario, Bogota, Colombia. 1988 "Hogar para el Niño Desamparado" Teatro Municipal Amira De La Rosa Barranquilla, Colombia.
1993-2000 Participates in several W.I.S.O. charity auction in Miami.
"The main ingredient in Tovar’ artwork is the handling of light. As Caravaggio did, the artist uses light in an arbitrary way to emphasize the aspects that he wants to outline. But light is not limited only to a passive role, but actively stimulates the senses of the observer and introduces the chiaroscuro that puts together the elements of the composition. Tovar also uses light, to create an atmosphere of quiet intimacy that encourages a reflection on sensuality.Just as their women are a tribute to the human anatomy, the still lifes of fruits or giant vegetables are a pretext to make a tribute to nature and a poetic appeal to offer a hopeful vision of the world. Tovar uses a controlled range of colors sepia with some intrusions of green or blue that excel because of its insularity." (1)
In his recent paintings, Tovar uses uncomplicated strokes of his earlier work to propose new, semi-abstract compositions reminiscent of his childhood experiences, and even though blurred by time; he materializes them through images of the cosmos. His artwork brings to mind the telluric Obregon and Roda’s rigorous and strong strokes which allows him to address from themes of Garcia Lorca's poetry with its mythical gypsies and the lack of measure of the Caribbean region where the violence of the sea and the grandeur of mountains to volcanoes with images of clouds and moons getting a thematic unity in his paintings.
Continuing his artistic research he maintains his bright colors of earth tones on which the Mexican critic Luis Carlos Emerich wrote: "... the Colombian (Tovar), more powerful and luminous, more subtle and more ‘painter’, bet undeniable beauty to claim the place of honor in the viewers taste. (2)
(1) Eduardo Marceles Daconte. Colombian art critic.
(2) Revista Novedades, "Naturaleza Muerta Exhumada" Luis Carlos Emerich
EXHIBITIONS
ONE MAN SHOW
2000 Aroca Gallery. Coral Gables,US.
1997 Galería La Aduana. Barranquilla, Colombia
1995 Ganadero Financial Center Art Gallery. Miami, US.
1987 Galería Quintero. Coral Gables, US. 1984 Galería Quintero. Barranquilla, Colombia.
1981 Galería Confamiliar. Barranquilla, Colombia.
1980 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia. 1979 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS.
2008 Coleccion Institucional, Galeria La Aduana, Barranquilla, Colombia
2006 XVIII Festival de la Cultura en la Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
2005 Arte del Caribe Colombiano en los 100 años del Atlantico, Barranquilla, Colombia
2003 Agora Gallery, Nueva York, US.
2000 Galería Imagen, Panama.
Feria Internacional de Arte. Caracas, Venezuela. Invited by Francisco Nader Gallery.
W.I.S.O. Art Auction, Panama,
Casa Cultural de Republica Dominicana. Montreal, Canada. Invited by Francisco Nader Gallery .
Senado de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. X Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach. Invited by Galeria Francisco Nader.
1999 W.I.S.O Art '99. Miami, U.S.
"Latin-American Art Exhibition", Center Gallery, Miami Dade Community College, Miami US.
Galería Imagen Panamá. Feria de Arte Mirarte. Bogota, Colombia. Invitado por la Galeria Nader.
Galería Francisco Nader. Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana.
V W.I.S.O. Art Exhibition, Miami. US.
1993 Irving Galleries. Palm Beach, US.
Feria Internacional de Arte. Caracas, Venezuela. Invited by Galería Quintero.
Weiss-Sori Fine Art, Coral Gables,
III W.I.S.O. Art Exhibition, Miami,
III Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach. Invitado por la Galeria Quintero.
1992 Irving Galleries. Palm Beach,
Salon de Arte de las Americas. Viña del Mar, Chile.
II Miami Art Fair, Miami Bach, U.S.A. Invitado por la Galeria Quintero.
1992 The Americas Collection, Coral Gables. Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo, Santa Marta, Colombia.
1991 Feria Internacional de Arte, Bogota, Colombia. Invitado por la Galeria Elida Lara.
I Miami Art Fair, Miami Beach.
Galería Quintero, Barranquilla, Colombia
1990 Van Cleef Fine Arts. Miami.
1988 Galería La Tertulia. Cali, Colombia, Portafolio Grafico Pan-Americano.
Galería Quintero. Barranquilla, Colombia.
Grossman Gallery. School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Boston.
1987 XII Portafolio Internacional de Grabado Coleccion Carton de Colombia. Cali, Colombia
1986 Museum of Modern Art of Latin American Organization of American States. "Eight Young colombian Artists" Washington D.C.
V Bienal Iberoamericana de Arte, México, DF
Centro Cultural Skandia. Bogota, Colombia
1982 The Americas Collection Gallery " Colombian Masters" Miami, U.S.
1983 Galería Elida Lara, Barranquilla, Colombia
Sociedad Colombiana de Arquitectos, Barranquilla, Colombia.
1981 I Salón de Arte Contemporáneo. Barranquilla. Colombia "Panorama Artístico Colombiano". Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
1979 XXVII Colombian Artists Exhibition, Bogota, Colombia.
1977 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
1976 Galería El Callejón. Bogota, Colombia.
CHARITY
2001 U.S. Colombian Medical Association. Coral Gables, US
1990 Hospital Universitario, Bogota, Colombia. 1988 "Hogar para el Niño Desamparado" Teatro Municipal Amira De La Rosa Barranquilla, Colombia.
1993-2000 Participates in several W.I.S.O. charity auction in Miami.
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