Niermann Biography

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Artist Leonardo Niermann

Born 1932
Birthplace Mexico City, Mexico
Style Abstract

Leonardo Niermann's paintings vibrantly come to life as they capture the intensity and spontaneity of the dynamic forces that rule both nature and the cosmos. With swirling whirlpools of color, darting flame-like wisps, and brilliant hues as dazzling as a sun, they are dramatic in their representation of that which is unchallenged, though perhaps not quite understood.

Born in Mexico City in 1932, Mr. Niermann showed great enthusiasm in the arts even as a young child. In 1951, he received his Bachelor degree in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Mexico. He later made studies of the Psychology of Color and the Harmony of Form in Space.

His full career includes numerous distinctions, awards, and exhibitions. He has painted murals for the School of Commerce of the University City in Mexico, 1956; the "Golden West Savings" in San Francisco, 1965; and the Princeton University Physics Building,1969.

Among the several museums and galleries that have permanent collections of his works are the Museum of Modern Art and the Institute of Fine Arts in Mexico; the Museum of Modern Art in Halfa, Israel; the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; the Gallery of Modern Art in New York; the Art Institute in Chicago;  the Pan American Union in Washington, D.C.; the Museo de Ponce in Puerto Rico; the Santa Barbara Museum in California; the Vatican Museum in Rome; the Detroit Institute of Arts; the Bogota Museum of Contemporary Art; the Academy of Fine Arts in Honolulu, and the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Madrid.

His numerous awards include: an Honorary Degree from the University of Mexico in 1960, a prize in a contest of Mexican Contemporary Art, sponsored by the Art Institute of Mexico, in 1964, an award of the Palme D'Or des Beaux Arts of Monaco in 1969, the Silver Medal in 1970 and the Gold Medal in 1972 from the Foundation "TomassoCampanella" in Italy, and the award of the Royce Medal in New York in 1970. In addition, he has been a Life Fellow of "the Royal Society of the Arts" in London since 1965.