ONANDIA
Yolanda Onandia born in Santander, Spain, in 1972, studied Restoration at the School of Restoration and Conservation of the Cultural Patrimony of Madrid. From 1997 to 1999, works at the Taller Galería Medani in Madrid, Spain, with Sudanese artist Rashid Diab. In 1999, Onandia opens in Madrid her own engraving workshop, Absenta. In 2000 she directs Galería Cuba 513, in Madrid, and from 2003, directs the digital printing department (GICLÈE) at Bernal Estampa Artística. Yolanda has shared her important entrepreneurial activities with a successful multitalented artistic career as photographer, engraver and painter. Her artworks have been exhibited worldwide and are part of private collections of France, Sudan, Egypt, Cuba, Argentina, Germany, Spain, USA, Japan, Holland, and Italy, among others.
Resuming twenty five years of her artistic international path: 1992-1997 Arts Pavilion Expo 92, Seville, Spain; Hoesch Marion Russell Collection, Barcelona, Spain; Arcale Fair, Salamanca, Spain; exhibits in Madrid, Spain, at Galería Fidias, Galería Expoarte, Ecocentro, the Iberoamerican Mezquita (M30) Biennale and the Industrial Engineers School; 1998 Testino Private Collection, New York, USA; Euroart 98 Fair, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital Xeral, Vigo, Spain; Galería Luz del Sur, Artesantander, Santander, Spain; exhibits in Madrid, Spain, at Galería Medani, Cultural Centers Hortaleza and Fuencarral, the Egyptian Institute of Islamic Studies and Galería Artemix; 1999-2008 group show at the William Sprattling Museum, Taxco, Mexico; Winsor & Newton shows at London, Stockholm, Brussels and New York; Arte del Sur Fair, Sheraton Hotel, Montevideo, Uruguay; El Cairo International Biennale, Egypt; Rai Art Fair, Rotterdam, Holland; Installation at Temistocles 44, Mexico, DF; Oporto Contemporary Art Fair, Portugal; graphic art group show Estructurales at AyN Centro de Arte; MACO, México Contemporary Art Fair; Graphium Biennale 2006, Timisoara, Rumania; Al Nakheel Hall Cultural Foundation exhibition, Abu Dhabi; awarded a Grant, solo show at Talleres S´hort, Mallorca, Spain; exhibits in Madrid, Spain, at Feria Nacional de Grabado. Estampa; group show Tamiz y Tela, solo show at Galería Cuba 513, solo show Alma en 3D, Galería y Factoría de Arte brnl, Valdemorillo; 2015 Christmas Exhibition, Crisolart Galleries, New York, USA; 2016 Art History at Monreal, Palermo, Sicily; Museo del Barro-Centro de Artes Visuales, Asunción, Paraguay; 8th International Biennale of Engraving, Acqui Terme, Italy; 9th International Small Engraving Salon, Florean Museum Baia Mare, Rumania.
Yolanda Onandia artworks encompass a variety of media, from photography to painting, printing or mixed media, which she cleverly employs and makes her own. Her images talk about the contrasts of life, of building materials and natural landscapes, of peace and storms, of the urban and the wild, and what I see outstanding is the refined way as she artistically manages the images and messages included in her art. Yolanda is a photographer, a painter, and a printer/engraver that construct her artworks as surrealist metaphors, whose beauty makes you to dream, to think and to wish!!!
Mariavelia Savino, Art Curator