about
Leonel Matheu

Cuban-born artist, Leonel Matheu, is an internationally known artist whose art work is accessible and honest. His work is rooted in profound decisions that motivated him to leave his birthplace to become an American citizen. HBO’s recent movie “For Love or Country” starring Andy Garcia, depicts the life of Matheu’s mother and father, jazz musician Arturo Sandoval, as they defected Cuba. Leonel’s art work contains a cautious sense of joy and liberation and is accompanied by a profound humility and respect for the physical world.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• “Orientations” Elder Art Gallery, Charlotte, North Carolina
• “Recent Works Lyle O’Reitzel Gallery, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• 2002 “Motives” Elite Fine Art – Jose Martinez-Canas, Coral Gables, Florida
• Galerie Cieremans & Cie, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• “New Paintings” Corbino Galleries, Longboat Keys, Florida
• “Dreams and Visions” Jorge Sori Fine Art, Coral Gables, Florida
• 1997 “Dream” College of Education, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
• 1996 “Leonel Matheu: Recent Works” Jorge Sori Fine Art, Coral Gables, Florida
• 1995 “Leonel Matheu: Recent Works” Weiss-Sori Fine Art, Coral Gables, Florida
• 1993 “Alas” Meza Fine Art, Coral Gables, Coral Gables, Florida
• 1993 “Motivos” Contemporary Fine Art, Miami, Florida
• 1992 “Homage to the Passing of Time” Galeria de la Editorial de la Mujer, Havana, Cuba

• 2002 “The First Encounter of Latin America and South Florida Art at Servavezza City”, Medici Palace Museum, Toscany, Italy
• 2001 “Latin American Paintings” Center for the Arts, Vero Beach Florida
• 2001 “Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea”, Florence, Italy
• 2001 “Cariveo 001 & The Cuban Connection” Lyle O’Reitzel Gallery, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• 1998 Galeria Mirrage, Mexico City, Mexico
• 1997 Miami Museum of Science an Space transit Planetarium, Miami, Florida
• 1996 “Latin American Artists” The Cultural Center of Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida
• 1992 Galeria Galiano, Havana, Cuba
• 1991 Casa de la Cultura of Marianao, Havana, Cuba

Public Collections

• 2001 Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, Alabama
• 2001 University Art Museum, Radford University, Virginia
• 2000 Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables, Florida
• 1999 Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida
• 1997 College of Education, Florida International University, Miami, Florida

Selected Auctions

• 2001 Contemporary Latin American Graphics Auction, Museum of Latin American Art, Long Beach, California
• 2000 Sotheby’s.com Elite Fine Art
• 1999 Wizo Art ’99, Miami, florida
• 1999 Gary Nader VII Latin American Auction, Intercontinental Hotel, Miami, Florida
• 1998 Sotheby’s, Miami-Dade Community college for Community Research Initiative

Awards

• 2001 Honorable Mention, Florida Individual Artist Fellowship
• 2000 Chivas Regal Order of Distinction, Miami, Florida
• 2000 Medal of Culture, Rotterdam, The Netherlands