Clara Ledesma
| Clara Ledesma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
1924 Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominic Republic |
| Died |
1999 (aged 74–75) New York City, New York, United States |
| Known for | Painting |
| Spouse(s) | Walter Terrazas |
Clara Ledesma (1924–1999) was an artist from the Dominican Republic.
Early years and education
Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, she initially studied art under Yoryi Morel in his academy in that city. Ledesma later enrolled in the National School of Fine Arts in Santo Domingo, graduating in 1948. Her professors included Celeste Woss y Gil and George Hausdorf, while her primary mentor was painting professor Josep Gausachs. Fellow students included Gilberto Hernández Ortega and Eligio Pichardo.
Career, continuing education and personal life
In 1949, Ledesma had her first solo exhibition and in 1951 she opened a studio/gallery, where she displayed her works as well as those of other artists. With the proceeds from a very successful solo exhibition in 1952, Ledesma traveled to Europe to further her education. She studied painting in Barcelona and Madrid, and exhibited her works in galleries in Spain. Ledesma also traveled to Lisbon and Paris to visit important museums. She was particularly influenced by the works of Marc Chagall, Joan Miró and Paul Klee. During her stay in Europe, Ledesma met Bolivian artist Walter Terrazas, who returned to Santo Domingo with her in 1954.
In Santo Domingo, she worked closely with other important Dominican artists, including Gilberto Hernández Ortega, Josep Gausachs and Jaime Colson. In 1955, she was named vice director of the National School of Fine Arts.
In 1961, Ledesma and her husband, Terrazas, moved to New York City, New York, where she opened another gallery. She lived and worked in New York City the rest of her life.
Exhibitions and artwork
She had numerous international solo exhibitions, including events in Madrid, Mexico City and New York City, and participated in group exhibitions in Brazil, Spain, Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Argentina and Puerto Rico.
Ledesma's style ranged from Expressionism and Surrealism to Abstraction.
She is known for her use of brilliant colors, imaginative figures and the feeling of magic and mysticism created in her paintings and drawings. In 1955, journalist Horia Tanasescu described her work, "At times ironic, often playful, but taking great care in the production of her paintings, this artist introduces an enthusiasm for life to the national art scene that is in striking contrast to the solemnity of the majority of her fellow artists."
Death
Ledesma died, age 74 or 75, in New York City.
See also
References
- De los Santos, Danilo, Memoria de la pintura dominicana, Volumen 3, Santo Domingo: Grupo León Jimenes, 2004.
- Tanasescu, Horia, La Exposición de Clara Ledesma (Galería Nacional de Bellas Artes). El Caribe, Santo Domingo, March 6, 1954.
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