Laurencena

1950 – 2024

Hugo Laurencena

Artist Statement

Laurencena’s work is the result of his passion for the study of light. He was a constant observer of the almost imperceptible relationships between different varieties of light and objects, permanently studying color, shadow, reflection, and the interaction between them — all rooted in light. Each painting was the result of several sketches, developed through drawing and photography.

The passion for painting is a trait that Laurencena’s work transmits; the union between the oil colors and the surface of the canvas is notable. His strokes and shapes are clean and delicate, a result of his continuing the northern European tradition of working with brushes.

Laurencena reinterpreted the traditional way of seeing objects. Normally, we see an object as a whole and then break it down into its parts. He, on the other hand, first draws our attention to the elements of the object, so that we can then discover it as a whole.

“Objects are just an excuse to paint light.”
Hugo Laurencena working in his studio
In the studio

Biography

1950 – 2024

  • Buenos Aires
  • New York
  • Zurich
  • Miami
  • Mexico City

Laurencena was born in Argentina in 1950. In the late 1970s, his passion for art led him to leave his native Buenos Aires and move to New York, where he continued his aesthetic research and consolidated his artistic language over more than twenty years.

He lived and worked in cities including Buenos Aires, New York, and Zurich. After a period in Miami — where he held several solo shows — he returned to Buenos Aires in 1999 to present an exhibition that consolidated the success he had built abroad. He relocated to Mexico City in 2000, residing there until his passing in 2024.

His work earned major recognitions, including those of the Colección Constantini, Novartis, Telecom, and the Universidad de Belgrano, among others, and is held in international collections such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in São Paulo, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Buenos Aires, and the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City.

In late 2012 he opened what would be his final exhibition, at the Museo Nacional de Arte de México (MUNAL); its success kept it on view until May 2013. Laurencena continued working on personal projects until his passing in 2024.

Career

Exhibitions, Awards & Collections

Selected Solo Exhibitions

  • 2013Museo Nacional de Arte, MUNAL, México.
  • 2009Tudor Gallery, Miami.
  • 2005Paula Allen Gallery, New York.
  • 2003“Objeto-Sujeto”, Galería Praxis México.
  • 2000Gallery Miranda, Miami.
  • 1999Galería Principium, Buenos Aires.
  • 1995Arche Gallery, New York.
  • 1994Galería VYP, Buenos Aires.
  • 1991Galerie Eberhart, Zurich.
  • 1989Paula Allen Gallery, New York.
  • 1988Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires.
  • 1987“Argentine Artists in New York”, Arche Gallery, New York.
  • 1986Paula Allen Gallery, New York.
  • 1985Paula Allen Gallery, New York.
  • 1984Caiman Gallery, New York.
  • 1982Bologna Landi Gallery, East Hampton, New York.
  • 1981Bologna Landi Gallery, East Hampton, New York.
  • 1980Galería Pierre, Rio de Janeiro.
  • 1979Galería Julia Lublin, Buenos Aires.
  • 1978Galería Praxis, Buenos Aires.
  • 1978Galería Jack Martínez, Buenos Aires.
  • 1976Galería Zurbarán, Buenos Aires.

Selected Group Exhibitions

  • 2000Premios Costantini, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1998Premios Colección Constantini, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1998Premios Novartis, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1997Premios Colección Constantini, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1996Telecom Award, Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires.
  • 1996“The Beatles Exhibition”, Palais de Glace, Buenos Aires.
  • 1979Universidad de Belgrano Award, Buenos Aires.
  • 1978“Neofiguración”, CAYC, Buenos Aires.
  • 1977Universidad de Palermo Award, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.

Selected Awards and Honors

  • 1998Special Mention, Salón Nacional, Salas Nacionales de Exposición, Buenos Aires.
  • 1993First Prize, BASF Argentina, Praxis Buenos Aires.
  • 1980Universidad de Belgrano Award, Buenos Aires.
  • 1980Banco del Acuerdo Award, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1979CAYC Critics’ Award, Buenos Aires.
  • 1977First Prize Marcelo De Ridder, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • 1976Embassy of Spain Award, Buenos Aires.

Museum Collections

  • Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires.
  • Museo de Arte Moderno, Buenos Aires.
  • Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Buenos Aires.
  • Museo de Arte Moderno, São Paulo, Brazil.
  • Museo de Arte Moderno, New York.

Private Collections

Mexico, United States, Japan, Switzerland, France, Spain, Canada, Italy, Belgium, Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil.