Rodney Zelenka
Born in Panamà, 1953. Jewish Austrian-German parents who migrated from Europe to Panama in 1939.
Lives and works in Panamà.
1962/1969: Escuela de Bellas Artes, Panamà. Courses with Panamanian masters, Alfredo Sinclair and Guillermo Trujillo.
1971/77: Graduated Cornell University, Ithaca N.Y., with a major in Economics and at minor in Latin American Politics. Took art courses at the Fine Arts department during his studies at Cornell University.
1979/89: Zelenka visited and stayed long periods of time, sharing art concepts and techniques, in the studios of important artists such as:
Julio Zachrisson, born 1930/2022. Madrid. Awarded the prestigious Goya-Aragon 1996 Prize, whose works are in museum collections as: MoMa, Metropolitan, N.Y.C.,….
Rodolfo Abularach: 1933/2020. Lived in N.Y.C.. Works are in museum collections as the MoMa, MET, Smithsonian -Washington D.C….
Jessy Patrick Allen: born 1936. Lives in California. Works are in many museums.
Other facts: Practicing III Degree Black Belt in Karate. Real estate developer. Farmer. Presently married to Melissa Royo and father of four boys.
Comments on Style: Zelenka started painting at age 7 and his works from those days till today, show a unique singular signature.
There is an important influence of what could be referred to as a Latin American Surrealism.
During the last 30 years and evidenced specially in works dated 2019/2022, one can find in his works, emphasis in the search to create a unique language, where art meets and deals with socio-political-philosophical issues in an original manner, palette of colors, media and techniques, (painting, sculpture and instalations).
Solo Shows-------
1980 Galería ARTE’80 – Panamá.
1985 Galería Habitante – Panamá.
1987 Gallery Revel – SOHO – New York, U.S.A.
1989 Shone Okuda – Gallery – Tokyo, Japan.
1990 Gallery NAITO – Nagoya, Japan.
1990 Daimaru Dept. Store Museum Gallery – Osaka, Japan.
1993 Cast Iron Gallery, SOHO, New York City – U.S.A.
1995 Centenario de la Bienal de Pintura. Venecia – Italia.
1995 Barnard Biderman Fine Art Gallery – Ney York, U.S.A.
1996 Bienal Internacional de Arte – Sao Pablo, Brazil.
1996 Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno – Cuenca – Ecuador.
1996 Museo – Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana – Quito, Ecuador.
1996 Museo de la Nación – Lima, Perú.
1997 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
1997 2nd Egyptian Internacional Print Triennale – Giza, Egipto. (Premio – Mención Honorífica).
1998 Museo de Arte Moderno – Santo Dominigo, República Dominicana.
1998 Galería Alejandr Gallo – Guadalajara – México.
2022 Museo de la Casa Cultura Ecuatoriana – Quito , Ecuador.
2022 Centro Estatal de las Artes, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. (Exhibition of 60 works by Zelenka) – Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez y Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa.
2022 Centro Estatal de las Artes de Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, (Exhibition of 60 works by Zelenka). Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez y Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa.
2022 Vitrinas del Metro de la Ciudad de Mexico, DF, Mexico. Curado por Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez.
2022 TENRI CULTURAL INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK – N.Y.C., U.S.A. Curated by Elga Wimmer and Thalia Vrachopoulos.
2023 Centro Estatal de las Artes, Tijuana, Mexico
2023- Museo de Arte Contemporaneo , Ciudad de Juárez , México . “A Ras de Suelo”
2024- Museo Metropolitano de la Ciudad de Monterey , México . “A Ras de Suelo”
2024- Facultad de Artes Visuales de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, México. -“Un Mundo Actual”
2024- Museo de arte Contemporáneo de Querétaro, México - “A Ras de Suelo”
2024- Galería Juan Manuel Cedeño, del ministerio de Cultura de Panamá. - “Suitcase Stories”
2024- Lichtundfire Galery , NYC , New York . - “Semiotics of a Spider”
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Group Shows-----
1979 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Panamà – Gulf Oil Exhibition –(PRIZE).
1981 Galleria Arte`80 – Panamá.
1981 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.
1982 Municipal Palace Museum – Panamá.
1983 Galeria Habitante – Panamá.
1983 Galeria Universitaria DEXA – Panamá.
1983 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.
1984 Walton – Gilbert Gallery – San Francisco, U.S.A.
1984 Galeria del Instituto Nacional de Cultura – Panamá.
1984 Lions Club Art Show – Panamá.
1985 Museum of Contemporary Art – Panamá.
1986 Museum of Contemporary Art – National Art Contest – INAC Panamá.
1987 Galeria del Instituto Nacional de Cultura – Panamá.
1988 Ivey Gallery – Los Angeles, U. S. A.
1988 Shone Okuda Gallery – Tokyo, Japan.
1988 Gallery Gekoso – Tokyo, Japan.
1989 Galería Mery Bernal – Panamá.
1990 Queens Gallery – New York, U.S.A.
1992 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
1993 Feria Internacional de Arte en Caracas – Venezuela.
1994 Bienal Inernacional de Cuenca – Ecuador.
1994 Bienal del Caribe - Santo Domingo – República Dominicana.
1994 Bienal Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
1996 Bienal Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
1996 Feria Internacional de Arte – Galería Jacobo Carpio ATMA Gallery – Guadalajara, México.
1996 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – “Cumbre Iberoamericana” – Santiago de Chile.
1997 Museo Pedro de Osma – “Maestros de la Pintura Contemporánea” Asamblea General OEA – Lima, Perú.
1997 Museo Munisipalidad de Lima ( Festival Inter. de Arte ) – Lima, Perú.
1997 Feria ARCO’97 – Galería Jacobo Karpio – Madrid, España.
1997 Christies Latin American – New York City, U.S.A.
1997 Sotheby’s Latin American – New York City, U.S.A.
1998 America’s Society – “Crosscurrents” – New York City, U.S.A.
1998 Bass Museum of Art – “Crosscurrents” – Miami, U.S.A.
1998 FIA’Miami – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.
1998 ARCO’98 – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Madrid, España.
1998 FIAC – Guadalajara – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – México.
1998 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
1998 Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Panamá – “Crosscurrents” - Panamá.
1999 FIA’Miami – Jacobo Karpio – ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.
1999 Art Chicago – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Chicago, U.S.A.
2000 Art Chicago – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Chicago, U.S.A.
2001 Art Miami – Jacobo Karpio _ ATMA Gallery – Miami, U.S.A.
2002 Bienal – Museo de Arte Contemporáneo – Panamá.
2002 Bienal II Internacional – Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes – Buenos Aires, Argentina.
2020 – Galerìa Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. – Virtual Group Show- Summer Newsletter, published in Newsletter AERY
2020- Galerìa Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. Group Show Curated by Elga Wimmer and Berta Sichel – Art and Politics. – Reviewed in WHITEHOT MAGAZINE of Contemporary Art, by Mark Bloch.
2021 – Galeria Elga Wimmer PCC – NYC, USA. Group Show published in Artsy Virtual Gallery.
2021-22 – Museo Casa Pintada – Fundaciòn Gabarròn, Mula, Murcia, España. Group Show tittled: “Todo es Arte – Todo es Polìtica”. Works exhibited include “Los Caprichos de Goya”. Exhibition curated by Elga Wimmer and Berta Sichel
2022 – Subasta del Museo de Arte Contemporaneo , Ciudad de Panamà.
2023 - Group show at Lichtundfire Galery - 175 Rivington St, New York , U.S.A..
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Texts written by:
Elga Wimmer – N.Y.C.
Olga Margarita Dàvila Garcìa – Mexico
Francisco (Pancho) Lòpez - Mexico
Phyllis Braff- N.Y.C….
Berta M. Sichel- N.Y.C./Madrid/L.A.
Eduardo Caseres – N.Y.C.
Susana Madera – Ecuador / Milagros Aguirre- Ecuador
Klaus Steinmetz – Costa Rica
Jacobo Carpio – Colombia
Raul Perez Torres – Ecuador
Monica Kupfer / Carmen Alemàn / Agustin del Rosario – Panamà
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WEB PAGE: www.rodneyzelenkaart.com
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