Chema Dapena

Category: Painter and sculptor
Birth Date: In 1955
Birth Place: Lugo
Correo electrónico: 
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   Cultura
 Curriculum

Since he was very young, he began to get in touch with Plastic Arts with Professors Saturno Lois, López Guntín, Benjamín Santín and Esteve Adam (Painting National Prize). Then, he began to study Art (painting, sculpture, industrial design, ceramics workshops and metal microfusion) at different schools. He studied at the Technical School of Lugo and took his degree at St Fernando Faculty of Fine Arts (Madrid). In 1980, he established himself in Ourense, where he started his activity doing industrial design in 1983 and directing the artistic section of the firm ‘Porcelanas Galos’ until 1991. It was then that he returned to artistic research and creation, combining this activity with teaching in Portugal and Galicia. As far as his teaching activity is concerned, he worked as a teacher at the Galician Glass School, National Glass Foundation, ‘La Granja’ Glass Factory in Segovia, specialized in decoration, modelling and glass design. He also gave courses on Ceramics Decoration and Design for ‘Olarte’, Coimbra (Portugal), on ceramist of stoneware moulds, Bemposta (Ourense), on Ceramics Sculpture at the Galician Centre of Craftsmanship and Design (Lugo) and the lecture ‘El Reciclado del Vidrio en el Arte’, Semana Verde de Galicia, Silleda. In 1995, he was awarded the International Prize on Design and Artistic Creation at the Internationale Frankfurter Messe in Germany for ‘Kandynsky’, a collection of ceramics and pottery.

 Work & Activities

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS: 1975: Círculo de las Artes, Lugo. 1977: Gallery of the City Council of A Coruña. 1978: ‘Zurbarán’ Gallery, Zaragoza and Galician Centre of Lérida. 1980: ‘Prisma’ Gallery, Lugo. 1981: Caixa Galicia Cultural Centre, Lugo; ASCOT Gallery 1988, Ourense; ‘Conde de Fenosa’ Gallery, Zaragoza and Caixa Galicia Cultural Centre, Monforte de Lemos (Lugo). 1982: Caixa Vigo Cultural Centre, Vigo. 1986-1987: International FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW, USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal) and BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France). 1988: International GIFT FAIR, New York (USA); ASCOT Gallery 1988, Ourense; International FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW, USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France) and INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid. 1989: Studio 34, Ourense; MAPFRE Gallery, A Coruña; Círculo de las Artes, Lugo; Internationale FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW. USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France) and INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid. 1990 – 1992: CERANOR International Fair, Porto (Portugal); CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1993: CERANOR International Fair, Porto (Portugal); CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1994: CERANOR International Fair, Porto (Portugal); CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal) and INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid. 1995: DVORAK Gallery, Lugo; Galician Centre of Craftsmanship and Design; ‘Ramón Valle-Inclán’ Museum; Drawing and Engraving Exhibition, Xunta de Galicia (Lugo, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo). 1996: Drawing and Engraving Exhibition, Xunta de Galicia (Lugo, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo). 1997: Exhibition and ‘Marqués de Lozoya’ Palace, Segovia and Drawing and Engraving Exhibition, Xunta de Galicia (Lugo, Ourense, Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo). 1998: ‘Visiones de Luz’, Ourense’s Museum and Gallery of the County Council of Lugo; Christmas collective exhibition, Isaac Café (Ourense) and TURIARTE, Silleda. 1999: ‘Universo’ Gallery, Pontevedra. 2000: ‘Camiño a Compostela’ (watercolour), Xunta de Galicia, ‘Casa de Galicia’, Madrid; Cultural Centre of Melgaco (Portugal) and ‘Camiño a Compostela’ (watercolour), Xunta de Galicia, Lugo’s Museum. 2001: ‘Os Nosos Artistas’, Xunta de Galicia; Athenaeum, Ourense: Lugo’s Library, ‘Teucro’ Gallery, Pontevedra, A Coruña’s Library and ‘Casa de Galicia’, Madrid. 2002: ‘Paula Pinho’ Gallery, Porto (Portugal) and Poio’s Monastery (Pontevedra). 2003: ‘Auria Arte’ Gallery, Santiago de Compostela; Mataró Park Centre, Mataró; Mercantile and Industrial Circle, Pontevedra and ‘A Fábrica’ Gallery, Allariz (Ourense). 2004: ‘Darby-Louise’ Gallery, Barcelona and Chicago (USA). COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS 1975: Círculo de las Artes, Lugo. 1976: ‘Arco da Vella’ Gallery, ‘Arte pra un tempo novo’ with Canogart, Pablo Serrano and Fajardo, Lugo. 1977: Gallery of the City Council of A Coruña. 1978: ‘Zurbarán’ Gallery, Zaragoza and Galician Centre, Lérida. 1980: ‘Prisma’ Gallery, Lugo. 1981-82: Galician Plastic Artists, Caixa Vigo; Caixa Galicia Cultural Centre, Lugo; Internationale FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; ‘Conde de Fenosa’ Gallery, Zaragoza; Caixa Galicia Cultural Centre, Monforte de Lemos (Lugo) and Caixa Vigo Cultural Centre, Vigo. 1986: International FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW, USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal), BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France), INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1987-1988: International GIFT FAIR, New York (USA); Internationale FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW, USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1989: Internationale FRANKFURTER MESSE, Germany; Dallas GIFT SHOW, USA; CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); BIJORHCA International Exhibition, Paris (France); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1990: CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1992-93: CERANOR International Fair, Porto (Portugal); CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal); INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid and EXPOHOGAR International Fair, Barcelona. 1994: ‘Coa Alma Enteira’ (exhibition dedicated to Cuba), Ourense’s Museum; CERANOR International Fair, Porto (Portugal); CERAMEX International Fair, Lisbon (Portugal) and INTERGIFT International Exhibition, Madrid. 1995: ‘Galician Design’, Galician Centre of Craftsmanship and Design (Lugo); Drawing and Engraving Fairs, Xunta de Galicia in Lugo, Ourense, Santiago, Vigo and Pontevedra; Galician Craftsmanship and Design, ‘Ramón Valle-Inclán’ Museum, Pobra do Caramiñal. 1996–1997: Drawing and Engraving Fairs, Xunta de Galicia in Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Ourense, A Coruña, Pontevedra and Vigo. 1998: Christmas collective exhibition, Isaac Café, Ourense and TURIARTE, Silleda (Pontevedra). 2001: itinerant exhibition in the cycle ‘OS NOSOS ARTISTAS’, Xunta de Galicia and ‘Arte y Sida’, Lyceum (Ourense). 2002: collective exhibition with ‘Galicia-Arte’ Gallery in Ourense and ‘Arte y Sida’, Lyceum (Ourense). 2003: ‘Auria Arte’ Gallery, Santiago de Compostela; ‘12 Artistas Gallegos’, Galician Centre of Barcelona; Mataró Park Centre, Mataró; Mercantile and Industrial Circle, Pontevedra and ‘Arte y Sida’, Lyceum (Ourense). 2004: ‘Arte y Sida’, Lyceum (Ourense); Darby-Louise Gallery, Barcelona and FAIM, Madrid. As far as sculpture is concerned, these are some of his most important works: a sculpture for ‘Banco Bilbao-Vizcaya’ (1988), a sculpture for the Association of Galician Architects (1990), the sculpture of Sta. María de Cervellón for the new Mercedarian Church in Madrid (1996) and the bust of José Martí for the ‘Biblioteca de las Américas’ at Fonseca Palace, University of Santiago de Compostela (1997). He participated in a project of the Xunta de Galicia (‘Galicia Terra Única’) with the sculpture ‘As Fontes da Poesía and also made the sculpture ‘A Orixe da Vida’ for Sta. María Madre Hospital in Ourense (the sculpture was made of steel and glass). In 1998, he made the sculpture ‘Visiones de Luz’ Ourense’s Museum and the County Council of Lugo and the bronze sculpture ‘De USA Mensaxeira’ for GALICIA DE COMUNICACIÓN Prizes (1999, Xunta de Galicia). He also made ‘El Faro del Fin del Mundo’ in Vilanova de Arousa - Pontevedra (1999), the work ‘La Diosa de la Excelencia’ for Mahou Group, San Miguel (2003) and the sculpture ‘Las Pirámides del Agua’, Carballiño - Ourense (2004). He also made several mural paintings, such as the one made of refractory stoneware for the Galician Centre of Craftsmanship and Design of the County Council of Lugo (1997) and two made of glass, one of them for the Chamber of Commerce in Ourense because of its centenary (1999) and another one for the delegation of the ‘Consellería de Transportes, Obras Públicas e Vivenda’ in Ourense. He is also the author of the stained-glass windows of Ponte Lima Church (Portugal) and La Sagrada Familia Church in Vigo (Pontevedra).

 Other Interesting Aspects

He was awarded the first prize at the National Drawing Contest (1970), the International Design and Artistic Creation Prize at the Internationale Frankfurter Messe of Germany with his ceramics collection ‘Kandynsky’ (1995) and the prize of the Third Sculpture Contest in O Salnés, Pontevedra (1999). BIBLIOGRAPHY: ‘Plásticos Gallegos 1981’, Caja de Ahorros de Vigo; ‘Chema Dapena. Visiones de Luz’, City Council of Ourense (1998), ‘Chema Dapena’, Xosé Barreiro (2000); ‘El Alquimista Revivido’, Francisco de Pablos (2000); ‘Artistas de Galicia’, Xunta de Galicia (2003 / 2004); ‘Guía Nacional de Arte’, Plecs d´ Art (2003-2004); ‘Pintores and Escultores IESE Lucus Augusti’, M. Celso Matalobos (2004) and ‘Chema Dapena Escultor’, Revista Auria. Caixanova (2004).

Pagina web: http://www.wix.com/chemadapena/web-de-chema