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 Museo de la Ciudad de Queretaro, Mexico. (Exhibition of 60 works by Zelenka). Curado por Pancho Lòpez
2023 Museo del Metro de la Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico , DF.
2023 Centro Estatal de las Artes, Tijuana, Mexico
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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.
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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
