Emilio Hector Rodriguez

Biography

Emilio Hector Rodriguez was born in the colonial village of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, in 1950. His family moved to Havana in 1953 He started drawing and experimenting with oil paint and tempera at the age of 12. While a student at the Instituto Pre-Universitario de Marianao (Marianao Senior High School), he participated in several workshops sponsored by San Alejandro Arts Academy. Between 1969 and 1970 he worked under the guidance of Cuban painter Jesus Antonio Valdovino Diaz at a center for the visual arts run by Consejo Nacional de Cultura (National Council of Culture) located in El Vedado, La Habana. In 1971 he enrolled in the University of Havana to study Pure Mathematics, but after two years he changed the field to Computer Science, obtaining his degree in 1976. After graduation he worked as a software specialist. In 1978 he began signing his artwork as “Emilio Hector”. He left Cuba permanently in 1981 and spent one year living in Paris. He moved to Miami, Florida, in 1982, where he currently resides with his family. Upon arrival in Miami, started working as a computer analyst/programmer. He began painting with acrylic guided by the Cuban painter Dominica Alcantara in 2005 at the “Latin Quarter Cultural Center” in Miami. Abstract painting became his last interest and passion. He has been painting abstracts since 2007. Emilio Hector has been participating in the workshops of renowned Cuban-American painters and professors Baruj Salinas and Yovani Bauta at Miami Dade College. His work can be found in private and public collections in Florida as well as in other states and countries of South America Europe and Asia.

In 2010 Emilio Hector presented a group of abstract artists to commemorate a Century since the first abstract artwork by Wassily Kandisnsky. This presentation later continued to become the “7 Plus One Art Project” which has been presenting abstract art exhibitions in diverse institutions such as Miami Dade College, the Koubek Center, Saint Thomas University and the Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center. Actually, Emilio Hector conducts this project as its founder and artistic director.

In 2014 Emilio Hector is invited to become a member of The Cuban American Phototheque Foundation in recognition of his work in the field of photography.

Individual exhibitions

He have presented several solo exhibitions including one in 2015, at Ave Maria University in Ave Maria, Florida, and two in 2014, one at the Miami Dade College-West Gallery and other at Rev. Jorge Sardinas Gallery, at Saint Thomas University both in Miami, Florida.

2015: ECCLESIASTICUS, Ave Maria University, Florida; 2014: ECCLESIASTICUS, St.Thomas University, Miami Gardens, Florida; 2014: BASIC: Miami Dade College, Doral, Florida; 2013: ECLECTIC TRIP: Valmar, Miami, Florida; 2012: VOLUMES AND SHAPES: Accent Alternative Art Spaces - Miami, Florida; 2012: PLEASING THE SOUL: The Wirtz Gallery at the First National Bank of South Miami, Miami, Florida; 2011: HIDDEN VISIONS: The Wirtz Gallery at the First National Bank of South Miami, Miami, Florida; 2010: THERE IS AN APPOINTED TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Cultural Fridays Art Gallery in Little Havana, Miami, Florida; 2009: LIFE IS COMING!: Cultural Fridays Art Gallery in Little Havana, Miami, Florida;

Collective exhibitions

2015: ARS LONGA VITA BREVIS: Saint Thomas University, Miami Gardes, Florida. COLORES Y LINEAS PARA CONSTRUIR LA PAZ: MACH (Museo de Arte Contemporaneo del Huila) - Neiva / Huila, Colombia. ENCOUNTER LATIN & KOREA MODERN ART: Busan Exhibition & Convention Center - Busan, South Korea. THE MURAL FOR PEACE: ALLIANCE FRANCAISE - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. THE MURAL FOR PEACE: Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston - Houston, Texas.

2014: IBERO-AMERICAN ART FAIR: Hangaram Art Museum - Seoul, South Korea. NESTGEN (Ecological Art Exhibit): Florida International University - Miami, Florida. LATIN VIEWS 2014: University of Connecticut, - Groton, Connecticut. JOURNEY IN CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN ART (FROM HAVANA TO LIMA): National Assembly of the Republic of Korea - Seoul, South Korea. III ENCUENTRO INTERNACIONAL DE ARTE: Villa de Guillena - Sevilla, Spain. IMAGENES Y PINCELADAS DE AMERICA: Galeria de Arte del Centro Cultural Augusto B. Leguia - Lima, Peru. BOOK: ARTISTES CONTEMPORAINES AMERICAINES at ART CONTEMPORAIN ESPAGNOL: Galerie Artes - Paris, France. FORMS' SYNCRETISM: Koubek Center at Miami Dade College - Miami, Florida. FEELING CUBA: Provenance Center Gallery - New London, Connecticut.

2013: V SALON INTERNACIONAL DE ARTE: Museo de Arte Pedro Angel Gonzalez - Isla Margarita, Venezuela. IMAGENES Y PINCELES DE AMERICA: Museo de Arte Contemporaneo del MERCOSUR - Buenos Aires, Argentina. IBERO-AMERICAN ART FAIR: Hangaram Art Museum - Seoul, South Korea. ART OF THE CARIBBEAN: Identity & Culture: Provenance Center - New London, Connecticut. IN SEARCH OF BENIMY: Miami Hispanic Cultural Arts Center - Miami, Florida. ARTISTES DEL MON / ARTISTAS DEL MUNDO: BCM Art Gallery - Barcelona – Spain. MUESTRA INERNACIONAL DE ARTE DE GIJON: Sala Aristas - Gijon, Spain.

2012: IBERO-AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY ART: ARA Art Center - Seoul, South Korea. IBERO-AMERICAN ART FAIR: Hangaram Art Museum - Seoul, South Korea. 14th ANNUAL ABSTRACTION, Upstreasm People Gallery - Omaha, Nebraska. LATIN VIEWS 2012: University of Connecticut, - Groton, Connecticut. LINES: Cremata Gallery - Miami, Florida. LATIN WHO IS? WHAT IS?: Provenance Center - New London, Connecticut. REAL ABSTRACTIONS: West Art Gallery at Miami Dade College, - Doral, Florida. CONTEMPORARY ART FROM THE LATIN WORLD: Charles E. Shcain Lybrary, Connecticut College - New London, Connecticut.

2011: 4th ART EHIBITION AT ANA G. MENDEZ UNIVERSITY SYSTEM: Sistema Universitario Ana G. Mendez, South Florida Campus - Miramar, Florida. 13th ANNUAL ABSTRACTION: Upstreasm People Gallery - Omaha, Nebraska. MID-SUMMER EXHIBITION 2011: University of Connecticut - Groton, Connecticut. CUBAN MOSAIC 2011: Miami Dade Government Center - Miami, Florida.

2010: SIN: Audrey Love Gallery in the Bakehouse Art Complex (BAC) - Miami, Florida. ROOTS: MDC InterAmerican Campus- Miami, Florida. MIAMI ABSTRACTIONS 2010: Cultural Fridays Art Gallery - Miami, Florida. LATIN VIEWS 2010: University of Connecticut - Groton, Connecticut. RUTA 2010: Bakehouse Art Complex at Wynwood Art District - Miami, Florida. CALIFORNIA AWARD 2010: Latino Art Museum - Ontario, California. ARTEAMERICAS 2010: Mami Beach Convention Center - Miami Beach, Florida. METAMORPHOSIS: MDC, InterAmerican Campus - Miami, Florida.

2009: ABSTRACTOMICINA: Cremata Gallery - Miami, Florida. HISPANIC-AMERICAN EXPERIENCES AND REFLECTIONS: The Lou Rewls Certer of the Performing Arts / Floria Memorial University - Miami Gardens, Florida. UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF ART: Miami Dade College’s Tower Theater - Miami, Florida. ARTE LATINOAMERICANO Y DEL CARIBE: Broward College - Pembroke Pines, Florida. MOSAIC: Alliance Francaise de Miami - Miami, Florida. ARTEXPO NEW YORK 2009: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center - New York City - New York.

2008: AIRES DE VERANO: Miami Dade College / Tower Theater. - Miami, Florida. HISPANIC HERITAGE ART EXHIBIT ’08: Miami Dade Government Center - Miami, Florida. CUBAN MOSAIC 2008: Miami Dade Government Center. – Miami, Florida.

Awards

Premio de Honor (Honorable Prize): Artistes del Mon - BCM Art Gallery - Barcelona, Spain (2013). Mencion de Honor (Honorable Mention): Muestra Internacional de Arte de Gijon - Sala Aristas - Gijon, Spain (2013). Special Recognition: 13th Annual Abstraction Juried Online International Art Exhibition - Omaha, Nebraska (2011)