Quick Facts
Biography
Pedro Cuni-Bravo is a Spanish artist settled in New York, specializing in murals, portraits and encaustic and oil paintings. He teaches in Parsons and Cooper Union, universities in New York City.
Early career
The militant condition of craft painter comes to Pedro Cuni-Bravo of family traditions: formed in the workshop of his father, the muralist José Cuní, but then graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Madrid. He was also assistant to his father in the decoration of the domes of the Academy of Jurisprudence and the Goya Hall of the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas in Madrid. And his father also introduced him to investigate the forgotten art of Greco-Roman encaustic and Renaissance formulas of fresco.
Late career
As a result of such training, Cuni-Bravo, since he settled in New York City in 1993, has had assignments as interesting as the murals for the New York City University, the restoration of the paintings of the State House in Trenton (New Jersey) or the assistance in the restoration of St. James Theatre in New York and in the murals of Venetian Palace Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This has made the technique of encaustic and architectural topics also central in his easel work.
Much of the effect in Cuni-Bravo's paintings is due to his sensitivity to light: to that impression of inner luminosity, of blaze, of transparent clarity obtained by blur, by superposition of paint layers, without the above one hiding completely the below one. This effect of light coming from the background of the painting cushions with the matte tones that the artist obtains from the techniques used: encaustic painting.
Experience
| Year | Work |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Presentation of Encaustic Cuni paint at CreativeWorld world trade fair. Frankfurt, Germany. |
| 2012 | Presentation of the “Rediscovery of the water-soluble encaustic technique in Roman Wall paintings and Fayum portraits”. Museum Conservation Institute. Smithsonian Institution. Washington D.C. |
| The Royal Academy of Chemistry publishes through its journal Analytical Methods “Characterization of the binding medium used in Roman encaustic paintings on wall and wood” by Pedro and Jorge Cuni with the chemistry department of Cooper Union. | |
| 2011 | Participates as an advisor in Getty Conservation Institute’s Wax Media project. Los Angeles. California |
| 2010 | Presentation of the encaustic discovery. The Cooper Union. New York. |
| Mural paintings for a historical villa in San Giovanni D’Asso, Tuscany. Italy | |
| 2009 | Awarded with the Menschell fellowship by Cooper Union for the Encaustic Project |
| 2006–09 | Roman painting studies, Chemical analysis of Roman painting samples, Chemistry Department, Cooper Union. NYC. |
| 2008 | Mural paintings for Le Cognac, New York. |
| 2006 | Roman painting studies, Chemical analysis of Roman painting from Complutum and Mérida, Spain in the NMR department of NYU. NYC. |
| Mural Painting for the Essex House, NYC | |
| 2004 | Mural Painting for Emigrant Savings Bank, NYC |
| 1999 | "The Encaustic and Fresco Techniques". New York Academy of Art. |
| Painted murals for Evergreen for the Venetian Palace Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas and the Saint James Theater in New York City. | |
| Participated in the restoration of the mural painting at the dome of the State House, Trenton, New Jersey. | |
| 1998 | Commissioned with the portrait of Don Felipe de Borbon, Prince of Spain. |
| 1997 | “The Encaustic Paint”. Lectures at Parsons School of Design, New York. |
| 1994 | “The Encaustic Paint”. Lectures at Altos de Chavon the School of Design, Parsons School of Design affiliate in the Dominican Republic. |
| 1993 | Painted the mural ceiling of the meeting room of the General Society of Spain. |
| 1986–87 | Designed the offices of the bank Caixa de Barcelona in Madrid. |
| 1982–84 | Designed sets for concerts in Madrid. |
| 1982 | Painted the dome of the Goya room for the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas in Madrid. Spain. |
| 1980 | Painted the dome and the stairway of the Royal Academy of Legislation and Jurisprudence. Madrid, Spain. |
Solo exhibitions
| Year | Exhibition |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Museum Conservation Institute. Smithsonian Institution. Washington D.C. |
| MM Diseño Arte y Desarrollo, Mexico City | |
| 2011 | Art Angler Gallery. New York |
| 2010 | Great Hall Gallery. The Cooper Union. New York |
| 2008 | OK Harris, New York |
| 2005 | Sen Gallery, Madrid |
| 2004 | Galeria Principal, Altos de Chavon. Parsons School of Design. RD. |
| Embassy of Spain. Washington DC. | |
| 2002 | OK Harris Works of Art, New York, NY |
| Sen Gallery, Madrid, Spain | |
| 2000 | OK Harris Works of Art Gallery, New York, NY. |
| Art of Flowers Fine Art Gallery, Atlantic City, New Jersey. | |
| 2001 | Flora Herranz Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1999 | Flora Herranz Gallery, Madrid |
| 1997 | Flora Herranz Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1996 | Flora Herranz Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1993 | Studio Rivelli, New York City. |
| 1991 | Galeria Principal, Altos de Chavon, La Romana, The Dominican Republic. |
| 1990 | Ernesto Klingerberg Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1989 | Torre Aurea. San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Madrid. |
| 1987 | Grife y Escoda Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1986 | Aula de Cultura, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid. |
| 1983 | Casa de la Reina Gallery, San Lorenzo de El Escorial. Madrid. |
| 1982 | Exhibition hall in the Escuela Superior de Arquitectura, Madrid. |
Group exhibitions
| Year | Exhibition |
|---|---|
| 2009 | Group show. OK Harris Gallery. New York, NY. |
| 2003 | Instructors’ Show. Cooper Union, New York, NY. |
| 2001 | Instructors’ Show. Cooper Union, New York, NY. |
| 1998 | Raritan Valley Community College, Somerville, New Jersey. |
| 1999 | The Gallery at Parsons School of Design, New York City. |
| 1988 | Actual Art, Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid. |
| 1986 | Selected works for Muestra de Arte Joven for the Ministry of Culture, Madrid. |
Awards
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Sculpture, Instituto Nacional de Industria, Madrid. |
| 1986 | Selection in the 9th Annual Blanco y Negro Competition, Madrid. |
| 1987 | Selection in the 3rd Competition of painting of La Caja Postal, Madrid. |
| 2000 | Selection in the First National Competition of Painting, Duran Gallery, Madrid. |
| 1983 | First Accesit, Fine Arts Youth Competition, Ministry of Culture, Madrid. |
| 1981 | Selection in the 5th Competition of Painting Students at the Complutense University, Madrid. |
Teaching experience
| Year | Subject |
|---|---|
| 1997–present | Traditional Painting techniques and Drawing. Cooper Union. NYC. |
| 1998–present | Oil Painting and Perspective Drawing. Parsons School of Design. NYC. |
Education
| Year | Place |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Actual Art Workshop. Circulo de Bellas Artes of Madrid. Spain. |
| 1991 | Actual Art Workshop. Circulo de Bellas Artes of Madrid. Spain. |
| 1984 | MFA, Complutense University. Madrid. Spain. |
Museums
Museum of Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando. Madrid. Spain