Henry Bermudez

Henry Bermudez is an American contemporary artist who was born in Venezuela in 1951. He has explored and expressed his interest in visual representations of cultures and mythologies in varying forms throughout his career. A journey of geographical, artistic, and human observation has taken him from educational experiences in small, isolated communities in the Caribbean to representing Venezuela in the Venice Biennale. His art transcends timeline and national boundaries. 

In the Venezuelan coastal Afro-Caribbean community of Borbures, religious and social syncretism provided a unique vision of the African Diaspora in the Americas with its symbolism and iconography. These were his first inspirations in the process of breaking from the formalities of mainstream styles learned in school. With these early experiences came the desire for new forms of expression.

Bermudez attended the National Schools of Art, Caracas, Venezuela and was awarded a scholarship to "La Esmeralda"/National School of Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking, Mexico City. He also studied at the Art Students League, New York City, and in Rome. His work has been included in exhibition catalogs such as the International Print and Drawing Exhibition of China and discussing and illustrating Venezuelan art. 

Since his arrival in the USA in 2003, Bermudez has been commissioned by the Mural Arts Program of Philadelphia to create several major projects. In 2012 Bermudez received a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant. In 2017 he was awarded a grant from the Franz and Virginia Bader Fund and received the Libby Newman Artist Residency at Brandywine Workshop and Archives, Philadelphia. 

Bermudez has worked with the Philagrafika print collaborative and the Philadelphia International Airport's art program. He received a Peter Benoliel Fellowship from the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, Philadelphia. In 2020, Bermudez was the subject of a selected retrospective exhibition presented by Taller Puertorriqueño, Philadelphia.

Bermudez is co-director of 1816 House Gallery in Philadelphia's Fishtown neighborhood and maintains an active studio and exhibition schedule. 
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records 

Artist Info


Born

1951

Bobures, Venezuela

Gender

Male

Nationality

Venezuelan

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