Havana, November 12th -. Like every year, the National Council of Plastic Arts delivers the National Award, Cuba's highest honor for creators of visual arts for the work undertaken throughout their lives.
Born in Havana in 1964 Lázaro Saavedra studied between 1976-1979 in the Elementary School of Fine Arts "20 de Octubre",and from 1979 to 1983 at the State School of Fine Arts San Alejandro. Finally between 1983-1988 he completed his training at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA). Member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, the artist has several solo and group exhibitions and has participated in several national and international events such as the Venice Biennale.
Among his awards are the first place in Marti Seminar with the exhibit /Homenaje/, ISA in 1986; the Grand Prize of the First Festival of creation and research in 1987 and the award for National Culture in 1999. His works are in collections of the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Cuba; and in galleries like Ludwig Forum in Germany and the Daros, in Switzerland.
The award was delivered for the first time in 1994 and is awarded annually to a Cuban visual artist, living and residing in the country, whose production is distinguished by providing a valuable contribution to the development and history of the visual arts in Cuba. It is also considered his accomplishments and his national and international reputation.
For this occasion was nominated 25 cultural institutions across the country and was appointed a jury of prestigious personalities of the Visual Arts and chaired by the last year National Award Eduardo Ponjuán. The nominees this year were the artists: José Antonio Choy, Lesbia Vent Dumois, Salvador Corratgé, Zaida del Rio, Roberto Salas, Juan Moreira, Pedro de Oráa, José Manuel Fors, Alberto Lescay Merencio, Alexis Leyva Machado (Kcho), Eduardo Roca (Choco), Manuel Valdés Hernández, Rafael Zarza and Rocio Garcia.
