SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Jan. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
On Thursday, the Cabildo of Tenerife will bestow the Great Nivaria Distinction, the most prestigious honour awarded by the island’s governing body, to the painter Cristino de Vera, following a unanimous decision to grant this recognition.
The presentation ceremony is set to commence at 12:00 p.m. at the Canary Islands Office in Madrid, as reported by the Tenerife Cabildo in a statement.
The accolade will be conferred by the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, who will be joined by the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the Deputy Minister of the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands, Alfonso Cabello; and the advisors for the Presidency and Culture, José Miguel Ruano and José Carlos Acha, respectively, along with the other members of the insular council, Aarón Afonso and Ana Salazar.
The event will also see attendance from the Government delegate of the Canary Islands in Madrid, Rosa Aguilar, and the president of the Cajacanarias Foundation and the Cristino de Vera Foundation, Margarita Ramos.
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1931, Cristino de Vera enrolled in the School of Arts and Crafts of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1946, where he was taught by Mariano de Cossío.
He also participated in drawing sessions at the workshop of sculptor Alfonso Reyes and worked alongside his father, representing pharmaceutical products.
In 1951, he relocated to Madrid, and with the help of his mentor Cossío, began studying under the painter Daniel Vázquez Díaz, alongside other students including Rafael Moneo and Canogar.
During his time in Madrid, a young Cristino, just 17, painted using natural light while enjoying music in his studio located in the Bilbao district.
Trips abroad provided opportunities for many Canarian artists to enhance their technical skills alongside personal and intellectual growth, exposing them to diverse artistic environments.
The only Canarian artists prominent on the national stage during the 20th century were those who had migrated, including Cristino de Vera, Óscar Domínguez, Manolo Millares, Martín Chirino, César Manrique, and Juan Hidalgo.
De Vera had the chance to engage with the great masters at the Prado Museum, where he spent hours admiring the works of Zurbarán.
He also visited the Casón del Buen Retiro and the Madrid Fine Arts Circle, which, along with his studies at the San Fernando School of Fine Arts and attendance at major art exhibitions such as the ‘I Biennial Hispano-American Art’ in the capital, contributed to the development of a distinctive and recognizable style over time.
JOURNEY ACROSS EUROPE
In 1962, Cristino de Vera obtained a scholarship from the Juan March Foundation to explore Europe.
Ultimately, he penned the travel report required by the scholarship, which features in the book ‘The Word on the Canvas’, released by the Caja General de Ahorros de Canarias in 2006.
Throughout the 1970s, he continued traversing Europe alongside his wife, psychologist Aurora Ciriza, who provided steadfast support.
Maintaining his ties with the Canary Islands for both his artistic endeavours and personal life, he arrived in New York in 1974 and, in 1979, undertook several journeys to the Far East.
These were challenging yet pivotal years during which the foundations for democratic culture in Spain were being laid, and his art appeared timeless, serving as a medium for reflection and contemplation.
This new mystique, following various solo and group exhibitions, rendered Cristino an enigmatic yet essential figure in Spanish art towards the end of the 20th century.
