Artist Bio
Zeus’s artistic work started within a historic sensitivity which could be called post-medieval, as it’s the result of the combination of two concepts: postmodern and medieval.
The first concept expresses the period of time when the tendency appeared: "The nineties" of the XX century. The second concept is the nomination and creative appropriation of art codes that belong to artistic periods after the High Middle Age; especially the Renaissance and the Baroque. With them, the particular reality is expressed through the painter’s vision. This definition refers ironically to the post-modern denominations.
Another characteristic that defines the artist’s post medieval style is it’s expressive way of communication. That’s why it has a close relation with classical painting, which is reflected in the format, techniques and preferences of the unique picture.
Zeus’s paintings have an ironic reference to the so-called "still life". It’s a satirical interpretation of commercial art, a reference to that art only promoting conventional static formulas and dialogues within the visual language, omitting the deeper content. The author transforms its bi-dimensionality by projecting it over a background without horizons symbolically creating a scene where the images swim in a deep environment, only reached by a right mixture of dark and light colors, ultimately to take the spectator to a reflexive state. This is reinforced by a careful elaborated technique evocative of the Flemish school. Sometimes, the objects are painted in a characteristic way that encourages a closer look and discovery of the colorful universe. In doing so, Zeus emulates the true intentions of the miniature-painter; to provoke meditation.
LUIS ZEUS OLIVERA LEON
ZEUS
CURRICULUM
Luis Zeus Olivera León. La Habana (1972). Autodidacta. Miembro de la Asociación “Hermanos Saíz” y del Fondo Cubano de Bienes Culturales. No del Registro Nacional del Creador de Obras de Artes Plásticas y Aplicadas: 6529. Firma artística: ZEUS. Dirección: Ave. 13. No 7619. Playa. Ciudad de la Habana.
Exposiciones Personales.
| 1999 | “El Origen del Mundo”. SAP AG. Berlín. Alemania. “Pinturas Recientes”. Galería Servando Cabrera Moreno. 1994. “El Poder del Color Signo”. Galería Amistad. Casa de la Cultura de Playa. |
Exposiciones Colectivas.
| 2001 | ”Pintura Posmedieval Cubana”. Museo de las Américas. San Juan, Puerto Rico. ”Salón de la Ciudad”. Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño. “Ecos de Cuba”. La Rama Dorada. Sala de Arte Latinoamericano. Panamá. ”3 en 1”.Centro de Prensa Internacional. 2000. “Primer Salón de Arte Erótico”. Galería La Acacia.” Subasta de Primavera”. Galería Imago del Gran Teatro de La Habana. |
| 1999 | “Naturarte”. Hotel Panamericano Resort. “Salón Playa 99”. Galería Servando Cabrera Moreno. “Salón Flora 99”.5 Encuentro Nacional de Artes Plásticas. “...Cuerdo no es...”. Galería Servando Cabrera Moreno. “El Golpe del Tiempo”. Ateneo Cultural. Santiago de Cuba. “Ciencia Ficción Habana 99”. Galería Imago del Gran Teatro de la Habana. |
| 1998 | “Art 98”. Feria Internacional de Vancouver. Galería Víctor Manuel. Canadá. |
| 1997 | “Pintura Cubana Contemporánea”. Academia Giaccinto Gigante. Nápoles. Italia. “Arte Cubano Contemporáneo y Popular”. Exposición itinerante: Roma, Milán y Palinuro. Italia. 1994. “Salón del Caribe”. Centro Provincial de Artes Plásticas y Diseño. Santiago de Cuba. 1993. “Primer Encuentro Nacional de Jóvenes Creadores”. Parque de Recreación El Castillito. |
Premios y Menciones.
| 2001 | Tercer Lugar. Concurso QuimicArte. 4° Congreso Internacional de Química. Galería Domingo Ravenet. |
| 2000 | Mención. IV Concurso Nacional Programa Mundial de Alimentos en Acción |
| 2001 | Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales. |
| Colecciones Privadas. Cuba, Inglaterra, Estados Unidos, España, Italia, Alemania y México. | |
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Zeus Olivera
Zeus born in Havana, Cuba 1972. Self-taught.
Personal Expositions
| 2002 | "Eulogy of the desire". Espacio 304 Gallery. San Juan. Puerto Rico. |
| 1999 | "The Origin of the World". SAP AG. Berlin. Germany. "Recent Paintings". Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery. La Habana. 1994. "The Power of the Sign Color". Friendship Gallery. Cultural House of Playa. La Habana. |
Collective Expositions
| 2001 | "New art of Cuba". Discoveries in Art, Gallery Bonheur, Society for Latin American Art and Culture. Old Greenwich, Connecticut. EUA. |
| 2001 | "Cuban Postmedieval Painting". The Americas Museum. San Juan Puerto Rico. "Room of the City". Provincial Center of Painting and Design. La Habana. "Cuban Echoes". The Golden Branch. Latinoamerican Art Room. Panama. "3 in 1". International Press Center . La Habana. |
| 2000 | "First Room of Erotic Art". La Acacia Gallery. La Habana. "Spring Auction". Imago Gallery. The Havana Great Theater. La Habana. |
| 1999 | "Naturarte". Panamerican Resort Hotel. La Habana. "Playa 99 Exhibition". Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery. La Habana. "Flora 99 Exhibition". Fifth National Meeting of Painting. La Habana. "Judicious... he isn't...". Servando Cabrera Moreno Gallery. La Habana. "The hit of time". Cultural Association. Santiago de Cuba. "Havana 99 Science Fiction". Imago Gallery of the Havana Great Theater. La Habana. |
| 1998 | "Art 98". Vancouver International Fair. Victor Manuel Gallery. Canada. |
| 1997 | "Contemporary and Popular Cuban Art". Touring exhibition: Rome, Milan and Palinuro. Italy. "Contemporary Cuban paintings". Giaccinto Gigante Academy. Naples. Italy. |
| 1994 | "Caribbean Room". Provincial Center of Painting and Design. Santiago de Cuba. |
Prizes and Mentions
| 2001 | Third Place. QuimicArte Concourse. Fourth Chemical International Congress. Domingo Ravenet Gallery. La Habana.The alchemist. 2000. Mention. IV National Concourse: World Foods Program in Action 2001. Center for development of visual art. La Habana.The incomprehensible frontier. |
Private Collections
Cuba, United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, Puerto Rico and Mexico.