Autorretrato (selfportrait)

Catalogue for National Award of Fine Arts 2009, Cuba

Client: Nelson Domínguez, Artist
Publishing House: Artecubano Ediciones
2010
Art Direction, Editorial layout, Photography

cover – digitalized signature on handmade paper

This catalogue was created for the exhibition Autorretrato (Selfportrait) of Nelson Domínguez on the occasion of the granting to him of the 2009 National Award of Fine Arts. It contains an overview on his lifework.

Since the first meeting I had with the artist I realized that, in spite of his age, he was a man full of energy, reinventing himself and questioning his own work over and over. That’s why the general concept of the book was to show him and his artwork as something still growing, like a work in process. I decided not to bind the book, but to use instead a pair of quite visible copper staples on one side, as if it would have been a bunch of A4 papers that one has taken and tied together. Another decision on this direction was printing his sign using silkscreen technique on handmade paper and to use this as cover for the catalogue.

sample of interior page

As every year during my time at Artecubano, in 2009 I designed for Nelson Domínguez his ›trophy‹. In this case, I found that a work tool would suit this hard-working and vivid artist rather than any prize cup. So, at one of our meetings I asked him to lend me one of his work aprons with the excuse I would like to get some inspiration and I would give it back when my work is done. I took it to a silkscreen workshop, printed it and framed it. He loved it! He even hung it at the entrance to his homage exhibition (Autorretrato) at the Pabellón Cuba!

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