BIOGRAPHY
Born in 1956 in Bogotá Colombia, Valero, studied at the National University of Colombia School of Fine Arts and then went on to perfect his skills at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Madrid Spain. He begun collecting awards while an exceptional student and continued throughout his first exhibitions in 1972-74, winning his first major prize as a muralist with his painting entitled “Iniciado Solar” in 1981. In 1986 his work merited an honorable mention at the contemporary International Art Canter in Paris, France, and two years later he won the Silver Medal at the International Painting Salon Grand Prix D’Aquitane in Tonneins, France.
His solo shows include exhibitions in Madrid, Spain; Bogotá and Cali in Colombia; Fort Lauderdale, Key Biscayne, Bay Harbor Islands, Coral Gables in Florida and Whittier California between 1971 and 2015.
His group shows include exhibitions in Bogotá, Tunja, Manizales and Santa Marta in Colombia; Madrid, Spain; Paris and Tonneins, France; Montecarlo, Monaco; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, West Palm Beach, New York, Los Angeles and Pasadena in the U.S.A between 1971 and 2015.
He has received more than 140 portrait commissions. His paintings and portraits are in private collections in Bogotá and Cali, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; Madrid, Spain; Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China; San Juan, Puerto Rico; City of Panamá, Panamá; Miami, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami Beach, New York City, Glendale and Whittier, CA in the U.S.
His permanent public collections include the Rayo Museum in Roldanillo, Valle, Colombia; The Musee de la Commanderie d Unet in Tonneins, France; The MOA Museum of Art of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
His work has been published in selected art magazines and reviewed by authoritative art critics in Bogotá, San Juan, Miami, New York and Madrid
ARTIST STATEMENT
I don’t paint what I see in the glorious heavens
even when the sun, Oh dear giant! Is full of fires,
or when the moon is in its crescent states
dressed with pretty whites an a softy blue.
I don’t paint the oceans when the night is deep
even when its waters are burst with lonely dreams,
of small fish and some others very big
anxiously looking for the hidden one.
I don’t paint men, when they’ve turn into ugly wolfs
killing each other in many nonsense wars,
spreading their blood and their useless bones
fighting for gold and its ephemeral trick.
I don’t paint the black crows in their ethereal dance
looking in the prairie for some little mice,
who can not see the dark mighty guys
grasping his life with their precise attack.
I only paint what I keep in my mind
the things, only I saw and no one else could find,
where no one witness my foot prints in the trail
where I leave my breath and pieces of my soul.
Only time and its never ending march
would like to steal the hours that I find,
in which I loose myself not knowing the end
nor the beginning, cause there, is where I am in peace.
You should see there, the blue skies so clear
and the stars gleaming its lights from so far,
or the changing waters turned into wheat
moving like a blowing wind dance, with out rest.
You might see the woman with no old garments
looking with her dark eyes a lovely sunset,
she speaks wit eloquence about herself
but she doesn’t need words to say who she loves.
The truth is that, I always look close to my destiny
where no one can see or take something from me,
I think I found the place where I can because I see myself smiling
every time I go there.
Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1956
STUDIES
National University of Colombia School of Fine Arts
Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Madrid, Spain
SELECTED COMMENTS BY INTERNATIONAL ART CRITICS
THE PAINTINGS OF ARMANDO VALERO by Carol Damian, Latin American Art History prefessor
Florida International University. Miami, Florida
THE ANGELS OF VALERO by Mirna Curras. International Art Critic. Miami, Florida
ARMANDO VALERO UA PINTURA DE TRASCENDENCIA by Jose Martinez Cañas Director of
Elite Fine Art Gallery. Coral Gables, Florida
DOS MAESTROS DE LA PLASTICA LATINOAMERICANA Armando Valero and Rene Portocarrero,
by Mirna Curras. Interarte Magazine. Coral Gables, Florida
ARMANDO VALERO UN ARTISTA SIN COMPLEJOS by Aldo Menendez fine artist and
Critic.Coral Gables, Florida
TEN COLOMBIAN ARTISTS IN THE USA by Eduardo Marceles Daconte art critic, New York
EL UNIVERSO VISUAL DE ARMANDO VALERO by Eduardo Marceles Daconte art critic, New York
ARMANDO VALERO by Armando Alvarez Bravo. THE NEW HERALD Miami, Florida
LOS VIVOS RETRATOS DE ARMANDO VALERO by Ivonne Gomez. THE NEW HERALD Miami, Florida
ARMANDO VALERO by Lee Tatem director of Tatem Gallery. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
ARMANDO VALERO by German Rubiano Caballero. International art critic. Bogotá, Colombia
ARMANDO VALERO by Wilson Arcila Duque. International art critic. Madird, Spain
SELECTED AWARDS
1988 SILVER MEDAL Grand Prix D’Aquitane 88 Tonneins, Frane
1986 HONORABLE MENTION Centre International d’art Contemporain Paris, France
1981 FIRST PRIZE AWARD Mural Project Contest. Military University. Bogotá, Colombia
1978 SECOND PRIZE AWARD Art competition. Complutense University. Madrid, Spain
1973 SPECIAL MENTION Art competition Sponsored by the City of Bogota,Colombia
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
“ THE ANGELS OF VALERO “ by Mirna Curras. ARTE AL DIA Magazine. Buenos Aires, Argentina 2000
“ THE IMAGES OF VALERO “ by Frank Soler, Editor MIAMI MONTHLY Miami, Florida 1996
ARTIST OF THE MONTH “ INTERARTE magazine, Coral Gables, Florida 1996
“ TEN COLOMBIAN ARTISTS IN USA “ EL TIEMPO news paper. Bogota, Colombia 1996
“ EXPLORING THE NORTH “ EL HERALDO news paper. Barranquilla, Colombia
“ THE PORTRAIT OF JORCA BOJORCA “ a painting for the cover of the novel La pasion de Jorca Bojorca “ by Colombian Author Rafael Vega
“TWO MASTERS OF LATIN AMERICAN ART “ Armando Valero and Rene Portocarrero
INTERARTE magazine. Coral Gables, Florida
“ THE GREAT PORTRAITS OF ARMANDO VALERO “ by Ivonne Gomez EL NUEVO HERALD Miami, Florida 1995
“ UNA PINTURA DE TRASCENDENCIA “ by Jose Martinez Cañas Director of ELITE FINE ART Gallery
LEA ART Magazine. Miami, Florida 1995
“ VALERO “ ART NOW magazine. Miami, Florida 1994
“ VALERO “ COMENTANDO by Billy Peña. TIEMPO news paper. San Pedro Sula, Honduras 1994
“ THE VISUAL UNIVERSE OF ARMANDO VALERO “ by Eduardo Marceles Daconte
LEA ART AMERICA magazine. Miami, Florida 1993
“ VALERO “ by Armando Alvarez Bravo. THE NEW HERALD Miami, Florida
“ ARMANDO VALERO “ Solo exhibition Barbara Scott Gallery. GALLERY GUIDE south east USA
“ ARMANDO VALERO “ Solo exhibition Diners Galley. DINERS magazine. Bogotá, Colombia 1984
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2010 SELECTED WORKS BLUE BIRD ART HOUSE, Whittier, California
1998 SELECTED PORTRAITS JORGE SORI Gallery. Coral Gables, Florida
1996 ANGELS INTERARTE Gallery. Coral Gables
1993 WIND OF COSMIC LIGHT BARBARA SCOTT Gallery. Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
1990 GODS AND ANGELS COMMENOZ Gallery. Key Biscayne, Florida
1988 MAGIC GODS TATEM Gallery. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1983 GESTOS FURTIVOS VENEZUELAN CULTURAL CENTER. Bogotá, Colombia
1982 EXPRESIONES VITALES DINERS Gallery. Bogotá, Colombia
1981 PERSONAJES ENIGMATICOS NELSON ILLIDGE Gallery. Cali, Colombia
1979 PRIMITIVE GODS ALUMNY Gallery. Los Andes University. Bogota, Colombia
1978 ANGELIC WARRIORS COLEGIO MAYOR HISPANOAMERICANO NUESTRA SEÑORA DE
GUADALUPE Galley. Madrid, Spain
1981 PERSONAJES ENIGMATICOS NELSON ILLIDGE Gallery. Cali, Colombia
1979 PRIMITIVE GODS ALUMNY Gallery. Los Andes University. Bogota, Colombia
1978 ANGELIC WARRIORS COLEGIO MAYOR HISPANOAMERICANO NUESTRA SEÑORA DE GUADALUPE Galley. Madrid, Spain
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2017 No Boundaries, RJD Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY
2016 Pieces of My Soul, Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY
2016 ArtHamptons 2016, Art Fair, Bridgehampton, NY
2011 FREMONTGallery Pasadena, California
2006 OBERNIER Gallery La Jolla, California
2006 DASSIN Gallery Los Angeles, California
2004 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
2003 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
2002 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
2001 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
2000 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
1999 ELITE FINE ART Gallery Coral Gables, Florida
1996 EXPLORING THE NORTH Ten Colombian artists in USA. Stendhall Gallery, New York NY
COLOMBIAN AMERICAN CENTER Bogota, Colombia
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Santa Marta, Colombia
1996 YAMATO GALLERY Coral Gables, Florida
1995 IV IINTERNATIONAL DRAWING SALON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
1994 ART MIAMI 1994 MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER. Miami Beach, Florida
1993 GROUP SHOW BARBARA SCOTT Gallery. Bay Harbor Island, Florida
1993 WIZO ART 93 North Miami Beach, Florida
1993 ART MIAMI 93 MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER. Miami Beach, Florida
1989 GROUP SHOW ANN JACOB Gallery. West Palm Beach, Florida
GROUP SHOW ELITE FINE ART Gallery. Coral Gables, Florida
1988 GRAND PRIX D’AQUITANE1988 CENTRE CULTUREL PAUL DUMAIL. Tonneins, France
1987 GROUP SHOW TATEM Gallery Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1986 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE INTERNATIONAL D’ART CONTEMPORAIN
Paris, France
1985 INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION XIX GRAND PRIX D’ART DU MONTE CARLO LA ROCABELLA. Monte Carlo, Monaco
1984 GROUP SHOW OÑATE Gallery Miami, Florida
1983 ART FOR EVERYBODY UNICENTRO Bogotá, Colombia
1982 GROUP SHOW LA NACIONAL Gallery Manizalez, Colombia
SMALL FORMAT BELARCA Gallery. Bogotá, Colombia
GROUP SHOW MUSEUM OF ART National University of Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia
STAINED GLASS PROJECT MARY MOTHER OF GOD Church. Bogota, Colombia
1981 CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN ART MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
Bogotá, Colombia
1980 FIRST BIANNUAL OF ART GILBERTO ALZATE AVENDAÑO FOUNDATION. Bogotá, Colombia
1978 FINE ART COMPETITION COMPLUTENSE UNIVERSITY Madrid, Spain
GROUP SHOW FRAU ANGELICO Gallery. Bogotá, Colombia
FIRST ART FAIR INTERNATIONAL FAIR EXPOSITION CENTER Bogotá, Colombia
1975 XXV NATIONAL SALON NATIONAL MUSEUM Bogotá, Colombia
