Jesús Rafael Soto was a Venezuelan op and kinetic artist, a sculptor and a painter. His works can be found in the collections of the main museums of the world, including Tate, Museum Ludwig, Centre Georges Pompidou, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna and MoMA. One of the main museums of art in Venezuela, in his home town, has his name in tribute to him.
| Born: | June 5, 1923, Ciudad Bolívar |
| Died: | January 14, 2005, Paris, France |
| Nationality: | Venezuelan |
| Education: | Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Aplicadas |
| Notable work: | Penetrables |
| Movement: | Kinetic and Op Art |
About Jesús Rafael Soto
Remembered for his work in the kinetic art and optical art genres, Soto is perhaps most famous for his Penetrables sculpture series. His work appears in permanent collections at New York's Guggenheim Museum and Museum of Modern Art and at London's Tate Gallery.
Before Fame
A talented artist from a young age, he painted numerous movie posters during his childhood and teenage years. He went on to train at Caracas, Venezuela's Escuela de Artes Plasticas y Artes Aplicadas (School of Fine and Applied Arts).
Achievement
In the early 1970s, a museum dedicated to his artwork was established in his native Venezuela.
Family Life
Born and raised in Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, he later lived and worked in Paris, France.
Associations
During the 1950s, he was part of an artistic circle that included the Israeli-born kinetic and optical sculptor Yaacov Agam.
Information related to Jesús Rafael Soto
- National Prize of Plastic Arts of Venezuela - National Prize of Plastic Arts of Venezuela is an annual award given to various artists from that country, specifically the field of drawing, printmaking and drawing pictorial. It is one of the National Culture Awards.
- 20th-century Venezuelan sculptors
- Burials at Montparnasse Cemetery
