Ana Albertina Delgado Havana, Cuba, b. 1963
With a particular focus on the role of women and their legacy in shaping society's cultural foundation, Ana Albertina Delgado investigates the interplay between tradition and new technological advancements, exploring the traces of human survival and cultural evolution. Delgado's work chronicles current socio-cultural transformations, incorporating genetics, migratory patterns, psychological analysis of human behavior, and anthropology, all conveyed through painting. Her work serves as a visual narrative of these complex and ever-evolving dynamics.
Born in Havana, Cuba in 1963, Ana Albertina Delgado graduated in 1979 from San Alejandro National School of Fine Arts in Havana, Cuba's (oldest fine arts high school) and in 1983 from ISA Higher Institute of Arts in Havana, Cuba. Delgado was a prominent figure in the Generation of the Eighties in Cuba, participating in numerous group exhibitions across the globe, including Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Finland, Germany, France, Spain, and the United States. In 1986, she co-founded the artistic group "Pure" alongside four colleagues: José Buergo, Ciro Quintana, Ermy Tano, and Lázaro Zaavedra. "Pure" made significant contributions to Cuban culture by introducing innovative aesthetic concepts, collaborative artwork creation, and social critique themes. Delgado's specific contribution was addressing women's issues in Cuban society, combining empathy, motherhood, and societal positivity. She incorporated elements from Afro-Cuban and countryside culture avoiding clichés and revitalizing the fantastic aspects of Latin and Caribbean cultures, with a close link with modern painting intertwined with mythos, creation and death.
A pivotal period in Delgado's artistic journey was her two-year stay in Mexico, which enriched her artistic perspectives by exposing her to different concepts and expressions, detached from her Cuban context. This experience reinforced her appreciation for an intimate, feminine world and the fantastical elements integral to Mexican culture. In the 1990s, Delgado's artistic life in the United States enabled her to gain insights into the art market and new media. Collaborations with galleries such as Genaro Ambrosino, Bernice Steinbaum, and Carol Jazzar opened opportunities to engage with a new cultural context. Her work seamlessly bridged seemingly innocent and childlike themes with social commentary, always reflecting the delicate and robust facets of the human condition, exploring both body and mind.
Delgado's work is held in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington D.C., the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame, the Frost Art Museum in Florida, the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami in Florida, the Museum of Art in Florida, the Museo de las Artes Universidad de Guadalajara in Mexico, the Museo de Arte de Ponce in Puerto Rico and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana, Cuba.
She lives and works in Fort Myers, USA.
