Luis García Fresquet
Graphic Designer, Illustrator, Cartoonist and Artist
García Fresquet started to paint when he was 11 years old, and had the first art exhibit of his drawings at the age of 12. His first cartoon was published when he was only 14 years old, in the La Calle newspaper in Havana, Cuba. He studied Graphic Design and Journalism in Havana, his birthplace.
Considered by critics as “one of the most creative, serious and consistent artists, locally and internationally” . (Santiago Armada, Critic and Humorist), and as “a multifaceted Graphic Designer, with an unquestionable mastery of the many possibilities inherent to the needs of de mediums of communication” (Félix Beltrán, Professor of Design at the Universidad Autónoma de México), Fresquet has developed an ever ascending artistic carreer, endorsed by many awards he has received.
García Fresquet has exhibited his work in many one man shows in Cuba, Mexico, and in Spain in the cities of Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid, La Coruña and Alcala de Henares. He has also been a part of collective shows in Cuba, Canada, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, Poland, Mexico, Spain, United States and Portugal.
As an illustrator of books for children, he has received awards and praises from critics: “Fresquet leaves his mark in everything he does, like a King Midas- his illustrations for children books are proof of it.” (Waldo González, poet and critic.).
Among others, Fresquet has done the illustrations for books like “Palomar” by Dora Alonso, “Cuentos de Sol y Luna” by Enid Vian, “La Boda de Anita y Aniceto” by Nury Rodríguez, “Poemas y Canciones” by Waldo González, and “Cartilla para la enseñanza de español”, published by Santillana USA for schools in Florida.
His book of cartoons titled “Yo, Tú, Él y el Humor” (Me, You, Him and Humor), published by Editorial de Prelo from Portugal and Pluma Ristre from Cuba in 1970, was considered by critics as a success of avant-garde Cuban humor.
García Fresquet has been the Art Director of various magazines and newspapers in Cuba, Spain and the United States. And, for more than fourteen years he was the Art Director of two magazines, Construcción Panamericana and Minería Panamericana published in Miami, Florida until the publisher was sold to a company based in England. He is currently the designer of the Miami Universal Editorial.
He lives in Miami, Florida since 1998 and works as a freelance Graphic Designer.
Premios/Awards
• First National Prize of Graphic Design for Ilustraciones poster, Unión de Escritores y Artistas, Havana, Cuba.
• Premio Especial de Artes Plásticas of the Universidad de La Habana for set of illustrations for the books “La Boda de Anita y Aniceto” and “La Ranita Limbatus”, Havana, Cuba.
• First Prize at the Olimpiada Internacional de Humor, Valencia, Spain.
• Primer Premio de Dibujo e Ilustraciones for children’s books at the Primera Bienal Nacionalde Arte y Diseño, Havana, Cuba
• Prize to the best set of works in Graphic Design at the Concurso de Arte of the Universidad de La Habana, Cuba.
• First National Prize in Traffic Sign, Cuba.
• Second Prize in Logotypes for the design of the logo of the Asociación Amistad Cuba-Bulgaria, Havana, Cuba.
• First Mention in Children’s Literature at the Concurso Literario 13 de Marzo of the “Los Juegos de mi Barrio”, Havana, Cuba.
• First National Prize of Illustration at the Bienal de Diseño de Cuba for illustrations of book “De Cómo Nació, Vive y Sueña la Guitarra”. Havana, Cuba.
Exposiciones/Exhibits:
• Westbeth Gallery of New York.
• Galerie Le Gobelet of Montreal, Canada, 1967.
• Bienal de Ilustración Infantil de la BIB of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, 1970.
• Yo, Tú, Él y el Humor, Galería L, La Habana, Cuba, 1970.
• “Y brota frente al sol el pensamiento”, (personal exhibit of graphic designs, cartoons and illustrations), Galería L, 1980.
• Premi Catalònia D’ Il.lustració, Barcelona, Spain, 1984.
• Retrospectiva de Ilustraciones de Luis G. Fresquet, Sala Teatro de Miramar, Havana, Cuba, 1985.
• International Salon of Cartoons, Montreal. Canada, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1972.
• 13er Maratón Arte de Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 1996.
• The 33th International Humorists’ Salon, Brussels, Belgium.
• Segunda Olimpiada Mundial del Humor, Valencia, Spain. 1967.
• Diseños de Fresquet. (personal exhibit of graphic designs and illustrations) Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, México, 1985.
• 14to Supermercado de Arte, American Prints Gallery, Madrid and Barcelona, Spain, 1998.
• Festival del Humor, Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 1998.
• El Humor de Fresquet, Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 1998.
• 15to Supermercado de Arte, American Prints Gallery, Madrid and La Coruña, Spain, 1999.
• El diseño de Fresquet , Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 2004.
• Ilustraciones de Luis G Fresquet, Galería Studio 7, Miami Florida, 2015.
