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Jose Cifuentes

Artist member since 2019
Pro
Toronto, Ontario

CIFUENTES' artistic practice is rooted in the visual expression of freedom. He looks to his own experiences as a Colombian immigrant in North America, often marked by instability and restriction. In response, CIFUENTES’ work seeks to break free from convention in order to express emotional havoc. Starting out as a street artist, CIFUENTES keeps with the tradition through his use of spray paint and marker, juxtaposed with acrylic and oil paint. The resulting canvases oscillate between the abstract and the figural, stylistically defying categorization. Freedom of expression in both style and concept is the thread that binds the works in CIFUENTES’ oeuvre.

Born in Medellin, Colombia, CIFUENTES moved to the United States as a teenager. He completed a diploma from Bergen College in New Jersey where he studied Fine Arts. In 2009, CIFUENTES moved back to Medellin where he founded the award-winning clothing brand beFREE. In 2016 CIFUENTES moved to Toronto where he continues to live and work.

CIFUENTES’ work has been featured in fairs and exhibitions internationally, including Red Dot Miami, Florida; Gallery 1313, Toronto; ARTA Gallery, Toronto; Distrito Creativo el Perpetuo Socorro, Medellin; and Monroe Center for the Arts, Hoboken. He is recipient of the Panasonic Creative Excellence Award and a 2019 Refugee and Newcomer Mentorship Grant from Toronto Arts Council. He is a board member and artist resident at Gallery 1313 in the Parkdale Village where he resides.


Work


Inside the Studio


Q+A

Favourite book

Mind is a Myth by U.G Krishnamurti

Describe your home in 3 words

Positive, Productive, Loving

What do you listen to when you work?

Cannonball Adderley, Wu-Tang Clan, Radiohead

Who do you consider a genius?

Anyone who makes a good living doing what they love

Why is art important to you?

Art is the voice in my head that tells me to paint, to express, to create and share with the world.

Describe the person your work appeals to in 3 words

Curious, brave, deep

Select Past Exhibitions
2020

Miami Art Basel. Wynwood, FL
Cancelled. Red Dot Miami Art Fair

2020

Gallery 1313. Toronto, ON
A Brave New World

2020

The Burroughes Building, Toronto
Postponed. The VAMs

2020

Gallery 1313. Toronto, ON
Coming Home - Online Exhibition

2020

Distrito Creativo el Perpetuo Socorro, Medellin, Colombia
Postponed - Solo Show: VOLVER

2020

Gallery 1313. Toronto, ON
Covid Portraits II - Online Exhibition

2020

The Burroughes Building, Toronto
Postponed - The VAM Exhibition

2020

Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, Toronto, ON
Postponed - SAVE ME: A Call to Artists to Save Mother Earth

2019

Arta Gallery, Toronto
Holiday Show

2019

Arta Gallery, Toronto
New Moon

2009

Secret Location, Hoboken NJ, USA
Eureka

2009

NYU New York University, New York City NY, USA
UBUNTU - Auction and Fundraiser to bring medical aid to Africa

2008

Full House Printing, Hoboken NJ, USA
Solo Show: Searchless

2008

Maxwell's Bar, Hoboken NJ, USA
Neumann at Maxwell's Fundraiser Group Show

2008

Monroe Center for the Arts, Hoboken NJ, USA
Politrix

2008

Park Avenue Gallery Bar, Union City NJ, USA
The Artist's Mythology

2008

O'Connells Gallery Bar, Jersey City NJ, USA
Solo Show: The Reality of John Doe

2008

Paul Vincent Studios, Hoboken NJ, USA
RED (Disambiguation)

2007

Cultural Arts Center of Hackensack, Hackensack NJ, USA
Latin American Art Exhibit

Accolades
2020

Jose Cifuentes
Toronto Arts Council COVID-19 Relief Fund

2019

Jose Cifuentes
Toronto Arts Council Newcomer & Refugee Grant

Press
2020

Beach Metro
Canvassed Creations by Andrea Johnson X CIFUENTES

2020

Art Hole Magazine UK
June Edition

2019

Glossi Mag
The Frenetic Abstraction of Jose Cifuentes

2018

Two Wavy Magazine
The Work of Jose Cifuentes

Education
2018

Humber College
Fashion Arts & Business

2007

Bergen Community College
Associates Degree in Fine Arts

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