Cristobal Gaviria

Who is he: Cristóbal Gaviria (Gavi) is a top Colombian artist with international reach who works in paint and sculpture media. His work can be viewed online at www.cristobalgaviria.com. The paintings and sculptures of Cristóbal Gaviria have been well received in exhibits in Bogota, Medellin, Miami, Costa Rica and Europe since 2000. Several of Gaviria's sculptures are on display in the Colombian embassies in Washington DC and Madrid, in the homes of former Presidents Alvaro Uribe and Andres Pastrana. Gaviria was commissioned to craft a statue of Addison Mizner, founder of Boca Raton, Florida. This 11' tall piece now permanently overlooks that US city from atop a large arch where it was installed in 2005.

Gaviria's sculptures, The Thousand and One Night, are emplaced along the road from Medellin to its international airport and along with another work, The Alladin, represented Colombia at the Fifth International Biennial of Contemporary Art in Florence, Italy, in December 2005. Alvaro Uribe commissioned Cristóbal Gaviria to create a life-sized bust of Antonio Nariño, which has been installed in San Jose, Costa Rica, in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

"Profiles" is a medium developed by Gaviria which he describes as "the fusion of sculpture and painting through the minimization of forms."

Background: Cristóbal Gaviria was born 8 October 1960 in Medellin, Colombia and continues to live there today. Gaviria attended Colegio Benedictinos and Colegio Los Alcázares, Instituto El Poblado, both in Medellin. 

After completing high school, Cristobal Gaviria began working with Master Rodrigo Arenas Betancourt, one of the most prestigious artists of Colombia, which whom he learned to work in the wax bronze medium. Following the death of Betancourt in 1995, Gaviria opened his own studio.

Cristobal Gaviria continues to live in Rionegro, a suburb situated above the city of Medellin, together with his wife, Gloria, surrounded by the stunning artistry of Colombia's natural beauty.