Flora Fong
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About Artist
Born in Camagüey in 1949, Flora Fong's artistry embodies a transcendent fusion that defies geographical and cultural confines. Her canvases are a testament to the rich tapestry of her Cuban upbringing intertwined with the profound influence of her Chinese heritage. This dual lineage imbues her work with a distinctive vibrancy and depth, enabling her to navigate and blend themes, styles, and motifs drawn from both cultures.
Flora is a patient and meticulous creator. She is a painter of gestures interested in reflecting reality and dreams personally, nuanced with her own viewpoints and emotions. Within Cuban painting, the artist's work occupies a particular symbolic space. It harmoniously converges, like a festival of colors and agile strokes, three elements of the country's life, nature, and culture: the landscape with its atmospheric violence, the domestic life of the people with its gentle and inconsequential poetry, and the Chinese ethnic component, undoubtedly integrated into the nation's fabric.
These dimensions structure a language that began with dark ranges and gradually opened up to striking clarities and solar strength, where colors explode in the morphology of the stormy sky, the fruit, and the flower. Viewed from a metaphorical perspective, Flora Fong becomes her own creative modality: the Asian calligraphic trait that reveals the weight of her ancestors, the texture of each line, where that mix of personality between fragile and dominant that characterizes her appears, and her evident choice of the sensory and habitual values of our existence's surrounding scene, which allows her to show us a different vision of the motifs that have been assumed by many signatures of the national plastic arts of the 20th century.
In her pictorial exercise, she tries to uncover the secret of nature which, more than suggested in her pieces, becomes a work of art, where interpretation supersedes natural truth. For the artist, copying nature is senseless. Hence, she seeks immaterial expression through simple means, using only what is essential, resorting more to essences than to appearances, to structure rather than to visually recognizable; breaking all limits between the figurative and the abstract.
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Curriculum
Having concluded studies at the Provincial School of Plastic Arts of Camagüey, Flora Fong graduated from the National School of Art of Havana in 1970 and was a teacher at San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts until 1989. Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and of the International Association of Plastic Artists (AIAP).
She has engaged in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, stained-glass technique, fabric design and traditional Chinese kite crafting. In 1988 she received a study grant from the Italian government. She traveled to China in a cultural exchange mission in 1989 and in 1997 presented a solo show at the Workers’ Palace of Culture in Beijing. Her works have been exhibited in the United States of America, Malaysia, Germany, Russia, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, China, Portugal, Italy, France, Japan and South Korea, among other countries.
She has been awarded numerous prizes and distinctions because of the quality of her work since 1970, year of her graduation, up to the present.
Flora Fong's exceptional contributions to the field of arts were duly recognized when she was honored with the prestigious 'Premio Nacional de Artes Plásticas' in 2022, a testament to her lifelong dedication and remarkable talent. The Council of State of the Republic of Cuba granted her the Distinction for National Culture in 1988. In 1989 she received the distinction “23 de Agosto” granted by the Federation of Cuban Women and in 1999 the distinction “Illustrious Daughter of the City of Camagüey”, as well as the acknowledgment “Espejo de Paciencia” from the Provincial Authority of Culture in Camagüey. In 2002 she received the Diploma for Artistic Merit from the Higher Institute of Art. In 2005 she obtained the distinction “Gitana Tropical”, which is granted by the Provincial Authority of Culture in Havana, and in 2006 the Giraldilla of Havana from the Provincial Government. In 2007 the Higher Institute of Art (ISA) granted her the Special Teaching Category of Consultant Professor.
ART: Elixir of Life. ArteMorfosis Gallery, Zürich Switzerland.
2014Homenaje a mi ciudad (Tribute to My City). Visual Arts Provincial Center, Camagüey, Cuba.
Grabados en el tiempo (Engravings in Time). House of the City Conserver, Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.
Grabados en el tiempo (Engravings in Time). “Eduardo Abela” Visual Arts Provincial Center, San Antonio de los Baños, province of Artemisa, Cuba.
2010Hacia todas partes. Los Oficios Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Flora Fong & Li Domínguez Fong. La Madre, El Hijo: Dos Artistas, Una Pasión. (Flora Fong & Li Domínguez Fong. The Mother, the Son: Two Artists, One Passion. Cernuda Arte Gallery, Florida, U.S.A.
Flora Fong Paintings. Bellarte Gallery, Seoul, South Korea.
2009De China al Caribe (From China to the Caribbean). José Martí Memorial, Havana, Cuba.
2008Flora Fong. Una nueva dimensión (Flora Fong. A New Dimension). National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
2007Manifestation d’Art Nouveau International et Forum (MANIF). Hall of the Great Masters, Seoul, South Korea.
2005Out of Cuba. Gulf Coast Art Museum, Tampa, U.S.A.
2004Manifestation d’Art Nouveau International et Forum (MANIF). Seoul, South Korea.
Tribute to the 490th Anniversary of the Foundation of the Village of Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe. Ignacio Agramonte Provincial Museum, Camagüey, Cuba.
2002Flora de Playa (Beach Flora). Municipal Museum of Playa, Havana, Cuba.
2001Los motivos de la Patria (The Motifs of the Fatherland). Cernuda Arte Gallery, Miami, U.S.A.
Entre décadas (Between Decades). La Acacia Gallery, Havana.
1998Pinturas y dibujos (Paintings and Drawings). 1, 2, 3, 4 Gallery, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
1997Pinturas y dibujos. Flora Fong (Paintings and Drawings. Flora Fong). Workers’ Palace of Culture, Forbidden City, Beijing, China.
Pinturas y dibujos. Flora Fong (Paintings and Drawings. Flora Fong), Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo.
Pinturas Flora Fong. (Flora Fong Paintings). Municipal Library of Vila Franca De Xira, Portugal.
Pinturas Flora Fong (Flora Fong Paintings). Artela Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal.
Homenaje 150 años de la presencia china en Cuba (Tribute to 150 Years of Chinese Presence in Cuba). Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1995Pinturas y dibujos (Paintings and Drawings). Arte A. C. Cultural Center, Monterrey, Mexico.
Florasol (Florasol). Espacio Abierto Gallery, magazine Revolución y Cultura, Havana, Cuba.
1993Serie Epifanía del trópico (Series Epiphany of the Tropics). La Florida Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela.
Pinturas Flora Fong (Flora Fong Paintings). Ateneo Los Teques, Valencia, Venezuela.
1992Exhibition of Serigraphs. San Agustín Club, Monterrey, Mexico.
El Caribe. Obra reciente (The Caribbean. Recent Works). Hotel Fiesta Americana, Cancun, Mexico.
1991Flora Fong y Nélida López. Pinturas (Flora Fong and Nélida López. Paintings). La Acacia Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1990Nube de otoño. Pintura, dibujos e instalaciones (Autumn Cloud. Paintings, Drawings and Installations). Provincial Center for Plastic Arts and Design, Havana, Cuba.
1986Jardines... y algo más (Gardens... and Something More). Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1985Pinturas y dibujos 1983-1985 (Paintings and Drawings 1983-1985). Habana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1984Pinturas y dibujos (Paintings and Drawings). Atlapa Gallery, Panama City, Panama.
1981International Meeting of Young Artists. Trinidad, Cuba.
Flora Fong y Nelson Domínguez. Pinturas y dibujos (Flora Fong and Nelson Domínguez. Paintings and Drawings). House of Culture of Guanabacoa, Havana, Cuba.
1978International Meeting of Painters. Lithuania.
1975Manuel Mendive y Flora Fong (Manuel Mendive and Flora Fong). Vystauni sin Vlov, Prague, Czechoslovakia.
1974Manuel Mendive y Flora Fong (Manuel Mendive and Flora Fong). Ateneului Roman Hall, Bucharest, Rumania.
1973Dibujos y pinturas (Drawings and Paintings). Galiano Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
Dos siglos de arte 20 y 21 (Two Centuries of Art 20 and 21). Cernuda Arte Gallery, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
2014Rodando se encuentran (Rolling, They Meet). Traveling exhibition. Museum of Architecture und Town Planning, Shanghai, National Museum of Fuzhou, Fujian; Museum of Art of Changshu, Jiangsu, China.
201316th Beijing Art Expo. Latin-American Pavilion, Beijing, China.
Houston Fine Art Fair. Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Istanbul Art Fair. Istanbul, Turkey.
20129th Havana Biennial. China in Blood. Museum House of Asia and House of Chinese Arts and Traditions, Havana, Cuba.
Ciudades creativas (Creative Cities). London Barbican Center. London, United Kingdom.
2011Naples Art Fair. Naples International Pavilion, Florida, U.S.A.
ArtHamptons. The International Fine Art Fair, New York, U.S.A.
2010SOAF 2010. Coex, Seoul, South Korea.
KIAF. Seoul, South Korea.
Art Fair of Shanghai. Shanghai, China.
2009Latin American Painting Now. Naples Museum of Art in Naples, Florida, U.S.A.
2008Cuban Artists in the Assembly of the Republic. Lisbon, Portugal.
Christie’s Auction. New York, U.S.A.
2007MANIF Art Fair. Salon of Great Masters. Seoul Art Center, South Korea.
Monstruos devoradores de energía (Energy Devouring Monsters). Casa de América, Madrid, Spain;
Triennial of Milan, Italy, and Grand Palais, Paris, France.
Three Leading Cuban Artists. Square One Gallery, London, United Kingdom.
2006Auge o decadencia del arte cubano (Rise or Decadence of Cuban Art). Flavio Garciandía. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
CIRCA, Puerto Rico 2006. International Art Fair of the Caribbean. San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Korea International Art Fair (KIAF). Seoul, South Korea.
Art off the Main. The Puck Building, New York, U.S.A.
Confluencias Inside. Palacio Clavijero, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
2005Conexión cuatro (Connection Four). Villa Manuela Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
2004Los Angeles Art Show. Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Grandes maestros cubanos (Great Cuban Masters). Museum of Cuenca, Ecuador.
Trece pintores cubanos de hoy (Thirteen Cuban Painters from Today). Mediterránea Gallery, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Arte contemporáneo cubano (Contemporary Cuban Art). Malaysia National Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
2003Art Fair. Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
Pintura cubana de hoy (Cuban Painting from Today). Guayasamín Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Christie’s Auction. New York, U.S.A.
200275th Art Salon of Lyon, France.
2001International Biennial of Florence, Italy.
2000Calentando motores (Heating Engines). Cernuda Arte Gallery, Miami, Florida, U.S.A.
1999Pintores cubanos (Cuban Painters). Pyreus Gallery, Greece. Cultural Center of the Government, island of Cephalonia, Greece.
Arte cubano (Cuban Art). Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation, United Arab Emirates.
Más allá del papel (Beyond Paper). Conde Duque Cultural Center, Madrid, Spain.
1998Arte contemporáneo de Cuba (Contemporary Art from Cuba). Urasoe Museum Okinawa, Hillside Forum Daikanyama Tokyo, Iwaki City Cultural Hall, Japan.
Cuba, cuatro artistas contemporáneos (Cuba, Four Contemporary Artists). Zeit-Foto Salon, Tokyo.
Artistas cubanos contemporaneous (Contemporary Cuban Artists). National Museum of Fine Arts, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
1997Arte BA Fair. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
1st Biennial of Alentejo. Portugal.
Hidden Art of the Contemporary Revolution. Cuban Art, Toronto, Canada.
1996Pintura cubana (Cuban Painting). La Sorce, PTT, Orleans, Post Bank of France.
1995La naturaleza, el hombre y los dioses (Nature, the Human Being and the Gods). Novecento Cubano. Royal Palace, Milan Commune, Italy.
13 Salon Artistique. Circle Jean Macé, Ingre Loitet, France.
Primer Salón de Arte Contemporáneo (First Salon of Contemporary Art). National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Arte contemporáneo cubano (Contemporary Cuban Art). Museum of Modern Art, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
1994Cuba, los últimos 60 años (Cuba, the Last 60 Years). Pan American Gallery, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.
5th Havana Biennial. Provincial Center for Plastic Arts and Design, Havana, Cuba.
1993Ritos y paisajes del Caribe. Arte cubano contemporáneo (Rites and Landscapes from the Caribbean. Contemporary Cuban Art). Iztapalapa Art Gallery, Autonomous Metropolitan University, Mexico City, Mexico.
1992Pintura cubana (Cuban Painting). Puerta de Toledo, Madrid, Spain.
Panorama de la pintura cubana (Overview of Cuban Painting). Cultural Center of the State of Palestine, Tunisia.
199118 pintores de Cuba (18 Painters from Cuba). Federation of Val-d’Oise, L’Humanitè, Paris, France.
Third International Painting Biennial. Cuenca, Ecuador.
1990UNEAC Salon. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
7th Plastic Arts Salon. Alyssa Gallery, Tunisia.
Nueve artistas cubanos. Pintura cubana actual (Nine Cuban Artists. Cuban Painting Today). Almirante Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
1989Painting Exhibition. Alla Torre Gallery, Commune of Faenza, Italy.
1988Paz interior, paz en el mundo (Inner Peace, World Peace). Milan, Italy.
Pintura cubana actual (Cuban Painting Today). G.S.A. Gallery, Jaume Guasch Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
Exhibition of Drawings. Denmark.
19871st Jaume Guasch Biennial. Barcelona, Spain.
1986Traveling exhibition El arte con la sonrisa (Art with a Smile). Italy.
2nd Havana Biennial. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1985UNEAC Salon. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Traveling exhibition Japan International Artists Society (JIAS). Prefecture Museum of Yamaguchi;
Municipal Hall Hakodate, Hokkaido; Urazoe City Hall, Okinawa; Central Museum, Tokyo and Prefecture Museum of Miyagi, Japan.
19841st Havana Biennial. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
International Painting Festival. Cannes-sur-mer, Paris, France.
Pintura cubana contemporánea (Contemporary Cuban Painting). Moscow, USSR.
1983Playa’83 Salon. Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1982Dibujo y gráfica de Cuba (Drawings and Graphic Art from Cuba). Lalit Kala Gallery, New Delhi, India.
1981Posters, Drawings & Graphics from Cuba. Lalit Kala Akademi, Nueva Delhi,.India.
1980“Carlos Enríquez” National Painting Salon. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1979UNEAC Salon. Havana, Cuba.
1978International Drawing Contest. Joan Miró Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
1977National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts. Havana, Cuba.
197626th of July Contest. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts. Havana, Cuba.
Permanent Salon of Young Artists. National Musem of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
Plástica cubana actual (Cuban Painting Today). Museum of Modern Art La Tertulia, Cali, Colombia.
1975Panorama del arte cubano, de la Colonia a nuestros días (Outlook of Cuban Art from the Colony to Our Days). Museum of Modern Art, Mexico City, Mexico.
National Salon of Teachers of Plastic Arts. Habana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
19744th National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts. Havana, Cuba.
2nd National Salon of Teachers of Plastic Arts. ENA, Havana, Cuba.
19731st National Salon of Teachers of Plastic Arts. Havana, Cuba.
19722nd National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts. National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba.
1971Exhibition in celebration of Women’s International Day. Habana Gallery, Havana, Cuba.
1970Drawing contest Tribute to Lenin., Havana, Cuba.
Mention in Painting. UNEAC Salon, Havana.
1988Study grant of the Italian Government.
1987Group prize to the Cuban ensemble. First Jaume Guasch Biennial, Barcelona.
1985Prize of the International Association for Plastic Arts (AIAP), UNEAC Salon, Havana.
1983Mention. Playa’83 Salon, Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery, Havana.
1980Mention in painting. Carlos Enríquez National Salon, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana.
1977First prize in drawing. National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts, Havana.
1976Mention in painting. 26 of July Contest, Havana, Cuba.
Mention in drawing. National Juvenile Salon of Plastic Arts, Havana.
1975First prize in drawing. National Salon of Plastic Arts Professors, Havana.
1974Mention in Painting. 4th National Juvenile Salon and Provincial Salon of Plastic Arts, Havana.
1970First mention in drawing. Lenin Contest, Havana.
National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba; Provincial Museum of Camagüey, Cuba; Casa Real, Madrid, Spain: Museum of the Americas, Managua, Nicaragua; National Parliament, Beijing, China; France Liberté Foundation, Paris, France; World Industrial Property Organization (WIPO), Geneva, Switzerland; Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Kyongju, South Korea; Royal Museum of Ontario, Toronto, Canada; Museum of Cuenca, Ecuador.
In addition, her works are part of numerous important private collections in Cuba, Spain, the Netherlands, China, the United States of America, Portugal, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Korea, Panama, Germany, Italy, Greece, Trinidad and Tobago and Japan.
