Born in Mexico City, the artist divides his time between Washington D.C. and his hometown. A multidisciplinary creator, his work spans painting, sculpture, and installation. He studied at the National Academy of Arts of San Carlos in Mexico City from 1994 to 1999. Known for his abstract paintings, Bravo often incorporates organic shapes and symbols, while his sculptures focus on urns and organic adaptations of the human figure. His oil-on-canvas works, often characterized by dark tones, evoke an atmosphere of solemn austerity. This mood extends to his sculptures and installations, where he uses ceramics and natural materials such as earth and stone to craft mystical environments.
His art is deeply personal, particularly reflecting on the loss of his mother, which has shaped his exploration of mourning as a universal aspect of the human condition. Through his ongoing series Ofrendas a mi Madre, he invites viewers to reflect on the profound connections between their individual experiences and the collective unconscious. In this way, Bravo’s work becomes an act of solace, remembrance, and emotional strength. Art historian Karin Alexis aptly describes Bravo's approach: “His art delves into a person’s soul and spiritual life, establishing a mood of sobriety and meditation.” Bravo’s true artistic mastery lies in his ability to intertwine personal and collective narratives, offering profound insights into the human experience.
His work has been exhibited in institutions such as the Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City, the Cultural Institutes of Mexico in Ottawa, San Francisco and Miami, and in the VIII Rufino Tamayo Biennial at the Rufino Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art, Mexico City, and is part of numerous public and private collections such as the World Bank in Washington D.C., the Mexican Embassy in Berlin, the Museum of Oaxacan Painters in Oaxaca City, the Ibero-American University in Mexico City and the International Bank of Miami Florida, to name a few.
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Born in México City
Working between Mexico City and Washington DC.
Education and training:
2023-1: Curatorship, museography and exhibition management, UNAM, Mexico City.
2014 - 2015: Ceramics, with Master Alberto Díaz de Cossio, Mexico City.
1996 -1998: Painting techniques, with Master artist Luis Nishizawa, Toluca Mexico.
1998: Fresco painting workshop, Diego Rivera mural museum, Mexico City.
1994 -1999: San Carlos national academy of arts UNAM. Mexico City
Selected solo exhibitions:
2010 "Installation Offering to 72 migrants”, Azcapotzalco Regional Museum, México City.
2007 "Ofrendas a mi Madre, Calligraphic Privitivism”, Diego Rivera Anahuacalli
Museum, México City.
"Ofrendas a mi Madre, Calligraphic Privitivism", Heineman Myers Gallery,
Bethesda Maryland.
"Mandalas", Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, Washington D.C.
2006 "The psalms, Calligraphic Privitivism", Cultural Institute of Mexico San Francisco,
U.S.A.
"The psalms, Calligraphic Privitivism", Cultural Institute of Mexico, Miami, FL, U.S.A.
2005 "The psalms, Calligraphic Privitivism", SCA. UNAM. Ottawa, Canada.
2004 "Guna mythology" Lithograph, Embassy of Panama, Mexico City.
2003 "Guna mythology" Lithograph, Union congress in Mexico City.
2002 "Guna mythology" Lithograph, Miguel Cabrera Gallery, Oaxaca City, Mexico.
1996 "Voices of the spirit" Oaxacan Institute of Cultures, Oaxaca City, Mexico.
Selected group exhibitions:
2024 “Art of memory” Brain Bridge Lab art contest, University of Chicago, IL. U.S.A.
2009 " 2009 SOMAAP Salon" Mexican Authors Society of the Arts, SGC of IP.
Exhibition hall Siglo XX1 Medical Center, Mexico City.
2004 “Master Leo Acosta Lithography workshop”, San Carlos Academy gallery, UNAM,
Mexico City.
2003 "Artists in residence" Museum of Mexico City, Museum, México City.
1998 “Man; figure, function and mystery” San Carlos Academy gallery, UNAM, México
City.
1996 “VIII Rufino Tamayo Biennial”, Rufino Tamayo Museum, México City.
1989 “Selected works national painting contest” French Alliance, Mexico City.
Selected collections:
Art Center, Nuevo León City, Monterrey. México.
Iberoamerican University, Santa Fe campus, México City
International Bank of Miami, Miami FL. U.S.A.
Mexican Embassy, Berlin Germany.
Museum of Oaxacan painters, Oaxaca City, Mexico.
Panamá Embassy, México City.
The world Bank, Washington D.C. U.S.A.
Gerardo Bravo features in various national and international private collections.
Selected awards, residencies & grants.
2022 Luxemburg art prize, (Recognition of high artistic quality), The Pinacotheque, private museum. 7 Rue Michel Rodange 2430 Luxembourg, Luxemburg.
1996 Rufino Tamayo VIII Biennial, (Selected art work), International contemporary art museum Rufino Tamayo, México City.
1989 National art contest (Selected work) Alliance Francaise, Mexico, commemoration for the bicentennial of the French Revolution, Mexico City.
Selected publications & press.
Espinosa Ricardo, "Gerardo Bravo exhibits pictorial work" El Sol de México newspaper, society section, August 5, 2007. p. 4D
Rolando Diez Laurini, "Medieval Influence", 10 talented Mexican architects, Architectural Digest Mexico magazine, volume 7, November 2006, p. 74-79.
Taracena Berta, "Aesthetics of Mexican Art in time" Thought and work, Chapter VII, Editorial los peñascales, S.A de C.V. 2006, p.311.
Tibol Raquel, “Rufino Tamayo VIII Biennial catalogue” International contemporary art museum Rufino Tamayo, 1996, p.21
Professional contributions:
2024 Apexart juror of international exhibition proposals.
2023 Exhibition curatorial team, “Gunadule. Women, textile cartographies and territorial knowledge,” UNAM/ National Museum of World Cultures in Mexico City.
2003-2006 Design and construction country family house in Mexico City.
2003 Showrooms design for Futon Tanoshii furniture stores in Mexico City.