Colombian, b. 1962

Born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1962, Federico Uribe currently lives and works in Miami. His artwork resists classification, and emerges from intertwining everyday objects in surprising ways that maintain a formal reference to art history. Uribe studied art at the University of Los Andes in Bogotá, and by 1988 he arrived in New York to pursue an MFA degree under the supervision of Luis Camnitzer. After receiving his degree, he left New York to study and work in Cuba, Mexico, Russia, England, and finally Miami.

In 1996, Uribe abandoned his paintbrushes and canvases in favor of household objects (plastic cutlery, colored pencils, and so on). He began to carefully observe, collect, juxtapose, and combine this alternative media. They have become unusual instruments of a new aesthetic, full of color, irony, and lively playfulness. When observed closely, his works reveal various kinds of interpretations; they tempt us to touch them, to discover the detail and connection between one element and another. When viewed from further away, they offer volumes, forms, textures, and color. His creations elicit excitement and intrigue from all walks of life, and the novelty of the media often belies the compelling aesthetic merit of each work of art.

Uribe’s work has become prominent in the United States over the past decade. His artwork has been collected by and featured in multiple museums around North and South America. Uribe’s work is rapidly becoming some of the most sought after contemporary art around the world. In this past year alone, Uribe’s work has been shown in Europe, Asia, and widely across the United States.

EDUCATION

1990      - Instituto Superior de Arte - La Habana, Cuba.
1988/89 - State University of New York, under the supervision of Luis Camnitzer.
1984/87 - Universidad de los Andes - Bogotá, Colombia.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 - Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT “Federico Uribe: Menagerie”
2023 - Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Madison, WI “Metamorphosis / Metamorfosis,”
2023 - The Delaware Contemporary, Wilmington, DE, “Plastic Reef” 
2022 - The Hudson River Museum, Yonkers, NY, "Plastic Reef"
2020 - Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ, "Animalia"
2020 - Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Palm Beach, FL, "The Practice of Opitmism"
2019 - Venice Biennale, Venice, Italy, “Plastic Reef,” Palazzo Bembo, Personal Structures
2019 - Cavalier Gallery- "Mesmerized"- New York, NY
2019 – Adelson Cavalier Galleries– “WOW” - Palm Beach, FL
2018 - The Brooks Museum - Memphis, TN
2018 - Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum - Wausau, WI
2016 - Montgomery Museum of Art – Alabama, USA
2016 - MASS MoCA – “Here Comes the Sun” – North Adams, MA, USA
2016 - Adelson Galleries – “Animals and Friends” – New York, USA
2015 - Adelson Galleries – “At Peace” – Boston, USA
2015 - Colombian Embassy – “TransformArt” – Washington DC, USA
2014 - South Florida ArtCenter - “30th Anniversary” – Miami, USA
2014 - Adelson Galleries - “Drawn in Pencils” - New York, USA
2014 - Adelson Galleries - “Objects In a Mirror” - Boston, USA
2013 - Now Contemporary Art - “The Realm Of the Unreal” - Miami, USA
2013 - Museo de Arte de Pereira - “Color Construido” - Pereira, Colombia
2013 - KM Fine Arts L.A - “Compulsive Pencil” – Los Angeles, USA
2013 - Hudson River Museum - "Fantasy River" - New York, USA
2013 - Museo de Arte contemporaneo de Panama - "Dos Hemisferios" - Panama
2012 - Art Platform - Los Angeles, USA
2012 - Now Contemporary Art - “Painting on a Shoestring” - Miami, USA
2011 - Now Contemporary Art - “Once Upon a Time” - Miami, USA
2011 - B R Museum of Art - “The World According Federico Uribe” – Boca Raton, USA
2010 - Vero Beach Museum - “Abstract-o” - Vero Beach, USA
2010 - Wolfsonian Museum - "Slowly but surely" - Miami Beach, USA
2010 - Water Front Park "Cyclic" – Palm Beach, USA
2010 - Praxis Gallery - "Risk" - West Palm Beach, USA
2009 - Chelsea Art Museum - "Pencilism" - New York, USA
2009 - Oratorio di San Rocco - "Human Nature" - Padova, Italy
2009 - FUMI Gallery - "Sculptures by Federico Uribe" - London, UK
2009 - Praxis Gallery - "Abstract-O" - Miami, USA
2008 - La Comunidad - "Animal Farm" - Miami, USA
2007 - Chelsea Art Museum - "Human Nature" - New York, USA
2006 - PUMA - "Human Nature" - Miami, USA
2006 - Annina Nosei Gallery (Scope) - "Solo Show" - Miami, USA
2005 - Design Miami - "Second Nature" - Miami, USA
2005 - Jacob Karpio Gallery (Art Basel) - "Pencil paintings"- Miami Beach, USA
2004 - Art Museum of the Americas (O.A.S) - "Federico Uribe" - Washington, USA
2004 - Jacob Karpio Gallery - "Garden on gardening tools" - Palm Beach, USA
2004 - Joan Guaita Art Gallery - "Federico Uribe"- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
2003 - Annina Nosei Gallery - "Comments on Paintings" - New York, USA
2003 - Bass Museum of Arts - "Garden on tools" & "Screwed" - Miami, USA
2002 - Annina Nosei Gallery - "Screwed" - New York, USA
2002 - Angel Romero Gallery - "Cactus Garden" - Miami, USA
2001 - Annina Nosei Gallery - "Torsos" - Chicago, USA
2001 - Futurshow - "Cactus Garden" - Bologna, Italy
2000 - Annina Nosei Gallery - "Adam and Eve" - New York, US
2000 - Instituto Cabañas - "Silfides y Jardin de Cactus" - Guadalajara, México
1999 - Adriana Schmidt Gallery - "Federico Uribe" - Köln, Germany

SELECTED COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

2023 - Darmstadt Kunsthalle, Germany , “Animalia,”
2023 - Lehman College Art Gallery, Bronx, NY , “Queer Love: Affection and Romance in Contemporary Art”
2022 -  COPE NYC, Brooklyn, NY, “An Inclusive World”
2019 - Art New York - New York, NY, USA
2019 - Cavalier Ebanks Galleries – “Summer Group Show" - Greenwich, CT, USA
2019 - Pallazo Bembo, Venice – “Plastic Coral Reef”- Venice, Italy
2019 - International Art Fair of Lima - Chorrillos, Peru
2019 - Art Fair Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan
2019 - Naples Art, Antique and Jewelry Show - Naples, FL, USA
2019 - Art Miami: Palm Beach Modern and Contemporary - Palm Beach, FL, USA
2018 - The International Festival Barcú: Bogotá, Art and Culture - Bogotá, Colombia
2018 - The International Art Fair of Korea - Soeul, South Korea
2018 - Cavalier Galleries – “Group Show” - Greenwich, CT, USA
2018 - Lehman College Art Gallery - "Tick Tock" - Bronx, NY
2018 - Cavalier Galleries – “Group Show” - Greenwich, CT, USA
2017 - Cavalier Gallery – “Mixed Ground Floor Show” - New York, NY, USA
2017 – California Center for the Arts – “Second Time Around” – Escondido, CA, USA
2017 – RoCA -  “Repsychling” – Nyack, NY, USA
2017 – Mattatuck Museum  - Waterbury, CT, USA
2016 - Lehman College Art Gallery - "Bedazzled" - New York, USA
2015 - Queens Museum – “An Inclusive World” – New York, USA
2014 - Somerville-Manning Gallery - "The Art of the Dog" - Greenville, USA
2014 - Hudson River Museum - "The Peacock and Beauty in Art" - New York, USA
2013 - Villa Rot Museum - "At every turn" - Burgrieden, Germany
2013 - Grassi Museum - "Experimental shoe design" - Leipzig, Germany
2012 - The Andrew Freedman Home - "This Side of Paradise" - NY, USA
2010 - Now Contemporary Art - "Parallel Realities" - Miami, USA
2009 - Praxis - Miami, USA
2008 - Luminaire & Christie’s - "Paper Love" - Miami, USA
2008 - Opera Gallery - "Latin American Flavor" - Dubai, UAE
2007 - Transylvania University - "Imprinted Bodies" - Lexington USA
2004 - Museum of Modern Art - "Push Play" - Jacksonville USA
2004 - The Ignatian Center for The Arts - "American Dream" - Miami, USA
2003 - Polk Museum of Art - " A Painting Over a Sofa" - Lakeland, USA
2003 - National Gallery of Cayman Islands -  " Fresh" - Cayman Islands
2002 - The Nassau County Museum of Art - "The Latin Century" - NY, USA
2002 - Art Center - "The Medium is the Message" - Miami, USA
2001 - Bernice Steinbaum Gallery - "A Painting Over a Sofa" - Miami, USA
2001 - The Babilonian Wilner Collection - "Circos Globulos" - Berkely, USA
2000 - Luis Adelantado Gallery - "3a Convocatoria Internacional" - Valencia, Spain

MUSEUMS & PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Al Thani Collection, Qatar, UAE

Bacardi Foundation, México

Bass Museum of Arts, Miami, FL

Bulgari Collection, Italy

Copelouzos Family Collection, Athens, Greece

Delfina Entrecanales Collection, England

Dolce & Gabbana Flagship Store, Milan, Italy

The Hermès Foundation, Paris, France

Jacob Javits, New York, NY

Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, NJ

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

United Arab Emirates Royal Family Collection, UAE

Vero Beach Museum, Vero Beach, FL

PUBLICATIONS & CATALOGS
2017- Watch the Parade - Skira
2014 - Drawn in Pencils - Adelson Galleries
2014 - Objects In a Mirror - Adelson Galleries
2010 - Now Contemporay Art - “Federico Uribe”
2009 - Praxis Gallery - “Pencilism”
2009 - Praxis Gallery - “Abstracts-O”
2009 - Oratorio di San Rocco - “Human Nature”
2008 - Opera Gallery - “Ma Tse Lin & Federico Uribe
2004 - The Ignatian Center For The Arts - “American Dream”
2004 - Jacksonville Museum of Art - “Push Play Redefining Pop”
2001 - Bernice Steinbaum Gallery - “A Painting Over a Sofa”

GRANTS & AWARDS
2008 - NYF International Advertising Awards – Silver & Bronze medals
2001 - Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs - “New Forms Miami”- USA
2000 - South Florida Art Center - Miami, USA.
1992 - The Delfina Studios Trust - London, U.K.
1991 - Ciudad de México - México, D.F.

PUBLIC LECTURES
2014 / Museum of Arts – “Arts mean business” – Feb.6 – Fort Lauderdale, USA
2008 - Miami Art Museum - MAM Art Trekkers - Lecture Nov.15 - Miami, USA
2008 - Bass Museum of Arts - ArtCrowd - Lecture Jan.15 - Miami, USA
2007 - Los Altos de Chavon School of Design -Workshop Oct.10/13-Dominican Republic
2007 - FIU Visual Art Department - Workshop Oct. 4 - Miami, USA
2007 - Bass Museum of Arts - ArtCrowd - Lecture Sep.5 - Miami, USA
2007 - Frost Art Museum - Latin American & Caribbean Art Lecture Series” Apr.17 - Miami
2006 - Inside Out - “Pecha Kucha”- Lecture Dec.7 - Miami, USA
2003 - Bass Museum of Arts - ArtCrowd - Lecture Aug.18 - Miami, USA

ART IN PUBLIC PLACES
2024 - “Plastic Reef,” Loggerhead Marinelife Center, Juno Beach, FL
2019 - “Spectacled Bear,” Parco de la Paz, commissioned by the City of Pereira, Colombia