Geometric Abstraction is a thoughtfully curated exhibition paying tribute to the extensive career of an artist of Pedro Hernández's stature. He is among the Cuban artists who arrived in the 1960s and, despite the inherent challenges, seamlessly integrated into a society that was vigorously growing and constantly redefining its identity. While Pedro practiced as a medical professional his entire life, he consistently created stunning pieces of art with remarkable regularity. He forged a parallel career in the art world that, due to its excellence and volume, might lead one to believe he dedicated himself solely to being a professional artist for over fifty years.
The Geometric Abstraction exhibition showcases 27 pieces, encompassing sculptures, collages, and cut-drawings*, canvases, and sculptures in thick paper. The majority of these works were created in the last ten years, with some crafted very recently, in 2024.
In July 2015, Hernández unveiled Geometry in Motion at Miami Dade College MDC-West, a display strikingly similar to what is now being exhibited in the museum's transitional gallery, almost serving as a precedent. At that time, the renowned art historian Anelys Álvarez Muñoz penned a text that impeccably illustrates both exhibitions, which we reproduce below:
'Geometry in Motion' brings to Miami Dade College some of the recent works by Pedro Hernandez, a self-taught sculptor. Nature was the inspiration for the artist's early works, which developed under the influence of Agustin Cardenas and Wifredo Lam. Years later, Hernandez's art evolved following his exposure to Jean Arp's Biomorphism, seduced by the simplicity and fluidity of its lines. For many years, Hernandez's sculptures have been characterized by an evocative sensuality that seemed to mimic the graceful curves of the female body. This subtle eroticism became his personal signature both in the tridimensional sculptures as well as in the works on paper, the 'cut-drawings,' a term coined by art writer Juan Espinosa Almodovar in 1980. In these drawings, the artist renders volumetric composition by cutting and overlapping colored papers.
'Geometry in Motion' reveals a different period of Hernandez's style, putting aside sinuous and curved lines. The artist is now interested in the geometric aspect of abstraction. His interest was rooted when he participated, among other artists, in the exhibition 'Lines: Contemporary Geometric Abstraction,' held at Cremata Art Gallery in 2012. Hernandez accepted the challenge of tempering his pathway of artistic expression with the exactness and simplicity of geometry. This experience set the beginning of a new period, where geometry plays a main role. The present exhibition at MDC embraces drawing (sculptural drawings), sculpture, and ceramic. The drawings are not typical compositions because they come from the hands of a sculptor, who uses a blade, not a pencil or brush. His sculptural approach in search of volume becomes a constant. Every geometric form appears to function casually in the compositional space, creating a delicious tension, suggesting the existence of a universe that continues beyond the confines of the frame.
The paper sculptures affirm his inventiveness and ability to balance shapes and volumes in space. By recycling objects, he discovers art in them. These sculptures could be models for a public art project. The ceramic pieces reassure Hernandez's drawing skills and his refined sense of harmony and synthesis. Color is an interesting element in this type of work. Hernandez's colors are flat, pale, or strong; there is no emphasis on tonal or light changes like those found in a painter's color palette. His colors provide a surreal accent through their combination and non-casual distribution. He is aware of the degree of surprise a tiny white accent can bring and the impact an angled shape can provide.
Each work on display has an internal and autonomous movement. The viewer is invited to discover the trapped emotion behind the geometric interplay and to join the experience: The Experience of Continuous Motion.
* Cut-Drawing is the distinctive method Pedro Hernández employs to craft his paper artworks. Utilizing a blade as his primary tool for linear expression, he meticulously shapes layers of colored paper to sculpt form. He strategically overlays these hues for enhanced contrast and texture, while precise cuts unveil the space or background, adding depth and dimension to each piece.
Pedro Hernández Domínguez was born in Havana, Cuba, on August 11, 1932. He received his primary and secondary education at the Edison Institute in Havana. He graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Havana, earning a Doctorate in Medicine in 1957. He settled in the United States of America in 1969. Currently, he lives and works in Miami, Florida.
He began his career as a sculptor in 1957, and his first participation at the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Havana was awarded. At that time, he shared artistic interests with two other young Cuban artists, Raúl San Miguel, who became an architect as well as a painter, and Jorge Pérez Castaño, an amazing painter who was his best friend since childhood.
In 1958, the painter Raquel Lázaro, President of the Lyceum Lawn Tennis Club in Havana, invited him to exhibit in the collective show 'Artistas Noveles'. He exhibited his sculpture 'Trio' at the Color Luz art gallery in Havana, owned by painters Loló Soldevilla and Pedro de Oraá. Loló was already a member of Group 10 (Concrete Artists) and founder of the Espacio Group. In 1959, Jorge Pérez Castaño introduced him to the legendary painter Víctor Manuel García, whose work, since the 1920s, had already earned him recognition as the father of modern painting in Cuba. Pedro became a regular visitor to his studio home, and a friendship developed that lasted until Víctor died in 1969. He was accepted to participate in the Annual Exhibition of Fine Arts (Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving) at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Havana, among well-known Cuban sculptors: Roberto Estopiñán, Enrique Gay García, Tomás Oliva, Rodulfo Tardo.
In 1960, he joined other Cuban artists selected to represent Cuba at the Inter-American Biennial in Mexico City. In 1964, he began his first explorations with clay at the de la Cruz Ceramic Workshop in Santiago de las Vegas, near Havana. His interest led him to explore the ceramic works of Amelia Peláez and those of her assistant Merallo. He also shared experiences with artists Jorge Pérez Castaño, Raúl San Miguel, and José Miguel González. In 1965, Víctor Manuel asked Pedro to join him for an exhibition at the Lyceum Lawn Tennis Club in Havana. His admiration for Víctor's works and personal gratitude for his mentorship endure to this day.
During the late 1968 and early 1969, he spent ten months in Madrid, studying the works of the great masters in local museums. In 1969, he permanently moved to the United States of America, specifically to Miami, Florida. Two years later, in 1971, he met the distinguished Romanian artist Gigi Aramescu. The outstanding quality and versatility of Gigi's works influenced Pedro's development as an artist. Their styles are different, but a trained eye can discern a precise line in both. He began an artistic relationship in 1978 with La Petite Galerie at Burdine's, a department store in downtown Miami. For several years, Cedalia Castaño de Olzick, the gallery director, encouraged local artists to exhibit. He participated in a major sculpture exhibition, sponsored by Re-Encuentro Cubano. He was accepted to exhibit alongside other Cuban sculptors in New York City, in a tribute to the well-known sculptor Juan José Sicre. Margarita Cano, a painter, librarian, and Director of Community Relations/Art Services at the Miami-Dade Public Library System requested Pedro to participate in fourteen exhibitions over fourteen years, two of them solo (Coral Gables Library in 1982 and Coral Reef Library in 1986). Always interested in exploring new mediums, he began working with paper in 1979, seeking a two-dimensional expression for some of his ideas, his cut-out drawings blend medium and style in a unique expression of his art.
In 1980, he embraced Biomorphism. Carlos M. Luis, Director of the Meeting Point Art Gallery in Coral Gables, organized an exhibition featuring Pedro, Gigi Aramescu, and Hernán García. The Miami-Dade Public Library System and Re-Encuentro Cubano presented the exhibition "10865...... a participation piece," a visual statement on a crucial historical moment: 10865 people sought refuge in the Peruvian Embassy in Havana. Nine artists collaborated on this event: María Brito Avellana, Humberto Calzada, Pablo Cano, Fernando García, Pedro Hernández, Roberto Montes de Oca, Arturo Rodríguez, Fernando, and Miñuca Villaverde.Marta Riera Gómez, Director of the InterAmericas Art Gallery in Coral Gables, invited Pedro to participate in an exhibition as the sole sculptor. In 1981, on November 29, 600 domino pieces (seven-foot-tall cardboard boxes), painted by local artists and placed on Flagler Street in downtown Miami, toppled when Mayor Maurice Ferré pushed the first one. The crowd cheered and ran alongside the dominoes as they fell one after another for seven blocks; it was the first instance of street art in Miami, Florida. In 1982, he explored bronze as a sculptural medium. The cut-out drawings from his 'Blue' series and his bronze works were first shown at the Coral Gables Library. His woodwork reflected a new direction regarding finish, conclusion, and gesture, leaving more open to the viewer's interpretation.
Pedro Hernández received the Cintas Fellowship in 1983. In 1985, he began to incorporate blue, violet, and gray patinas into his wood sculptures to enhance shapes, crevices, and volumes, a practice he maintains to this day. He won an award in 1986 at the first exhibition of ceramic plates at the Joubek Center, University of Miami. He returned to clay by presenting a plate at the South Dade Regional Library in Miami in 1987, with participants being artists from various disciplines. He participated with a group of Latin American artists in an art exhibition in Tonneins-Bordeaux, France. This event was coordinated by the International Art Connection, led by painter Jane Chambeaux. Pedro was awarded for his cut-out drawing 'El Teide'. A year later, he exhibited again in Paris, at the Palais de Luxembourg, sponsored by the International Art Connection. In 1991, he recreated a 'forest' using commercial wood beams transformed into self-standing sculptures at the Metro Resource Center, in downtown Miami.
Following the opening of the O & Y gallery, he began a sustained professional relationship with its director Alina Marrero. Represented by this gallery, he completed three solo exhibitions and numerous group shows. In 1998, he exhibited at the New London Arts Society gallery in Connecticut, invited by Sharon Griffis. Entering 2001, he participated in a street art activity, chalk painting on the sidewalks of Miami Beach, sponsored by Absolut Vodka. In the same year, he took part in the 2nd World Festival of Art on Paper, held in the city of Bled in Slovenia.
In the 2000s, he participated in numerous events and exhibitions, such as Flamingos on the Beach, organized by the Art in Public Places Program, the Maison des Dames exhibition, inspired by the experiences of Toulouse Lautrec, Latin Views at the University of Connecticut in Groton, La Serenissima at the O & Y Gallery, Latins in the Borough in Stonington, Connecticut, and a group exhibition at the Lyman Allyn Museum in Connecticut. His sculpture Hialeah Beat was placed in a public space by Hialeah's Art in Public Places Program.
He has served as a curator for Seen Plus One Art Group exhibitions and Pop Up Gallery. His book Pedro Hernández, Line in Movement, published in November 2013, comprises more than fifty years of his artistic career. His most recent solo exhibition took place at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas, located in Kendall, during February, March, and April 2024.
Over the Island I, 2022
Mixed Media, Cut-Drawing, Graphite on Paper
4½ x 6½ Inches
Over the Island II, 2022
Mixed Media, Cut-Drawing, Graphite on Paper
4½ x 6½ Inches
Blu, 2022
Mixed Media, Cut-Drawing, Graphite on Paper
4½ x 6½ Inches
Fup, Down / Back, Forth, 2013
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Lucid Encounter, 2013
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Pink / Orange Orbifold, 2012
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Blue Orbifold, 2012
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Figure and Line, 2012
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Puzzle, 2013
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Folding Triangles, 2012
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
Broken Obelisk, 2012
Mixed Media, Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing), Graphite on Board
14 x 14 Inches
The Window, 2018
(Triptych)
Canson Paper (Cut-Drawing) on Board
24 x 24 Inches
Sculpture
Untitled, 2024
Hand-carved Rock | 9½ x 7¼ x 5½
14 x 14 Inches
