Nelson
"Rooted in my Cuban, African, and German heritage, my artwork merges colors and shapes, offering a personal vision of the world as a celebration of diversity."
Cuban artist Nelson Ramos Sandoval, was born in 1956 in Havana, explored various paths before fully embracing painting. His early studies in Dramaturgy at Havana's National School of Art led to poetry and illustration. In the late 1970s and 1980s, he taught technical drawing in Havana before moving to Germany in 1990, where he pursued art in his free time.
By the 2000s, his sketches transformed into vibrant oil paintings, exhibiting to the public in 2018. Known for his surreal, symbol-rich works with intense colors, Nelson's art delves into philosophical and cultural themes. His exhibits span globally, with recent shows focusing on his Afro-Cuban roots. Today, he is active in several German artistic circles and international collaborations.
About his art
Nelson captures the cultural and spiritual richness of Afro-Cuban heritage throughout his vibrant and colorful works. His pieces reveal an intricate tapestry of living mythologies and traditions that connect the viewer to his cultural roots and timeless narratives. With an intense color palette and compositions enriched with symbolism, Nelson invites this audience to immerse themselves in ancestral stories, presenting deities and mystical figures in a partly surreal manner, bringing to life legends about their actions and lasting influences. This legacy, originating in West Africa and still present in everyday Cuban life, remains a vivid cultural thread in his line of work.
A deeply humanistic artist, he uses both his large-format canvas oil paintings and wooden sculptures to address social and philosophical themes. Works like "Mitos y Magos, Muertos y Maravillas," "Farbige Wahrheiten - Realidades a Colores," and "Sigue mi RumbAo" are some of the exhibitions in which Nelson has explored these themes, making visible the connection among identity, memory, and human complexity.
A tireless traveler and cultural bridge, Nelson has lived away from his homeland for decades, however he remains deeply connected to his roots. Coming from a society that values humanity beyond race or classes, his art expresses a unique sensitivity towards themes such as discrimination, injustice, abuse of power, and social inequality. This critical, yet compassionate perspective, subtly permeates much of his work conveying a message of resilience and authenticity in times of global transformation.
Artwork
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
Solo and Group Exhibition
Solo Exhibition - Sigue mi RumbAo, Orangerie English Garden, Munich, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Urban Nature, Joint Exhibition by the Nature Conservation Association and Cultural Association Puchheim, PUC–Gallery Cultural Center Puchheim, Germany; Open Studio Days by Art in Sendling, Clearinghouse, Plinganserstraße 29, Munich, Germany; Between..., Saint Korbinian, Munich, Germany; Collaborations titled 'Back to the Roots,' Main Hall of the Catholic Church, Eichenau, Germany; On the Assembly Line, Anniversary Exhibition of the Puchheim Cultural Association, PUC, Gallery Cultural Center Puchheim, Germany; 31st Aichach Art Award, SAN Depot Hall Aichach, Germany; Arteg Art Gallery Tegernsee, Hauptstraße 27, Tegernsee, Germany; Frieze of Paintings “Alles anders oder was?”, Sendlinger Kulturschmiede, Munich, Germany; Intercultural Art Project at the Provincial Center of Plastic Arts and Design in Havana, Cuba, Exhibition and Workshops, funded by the City of Munich, Germany.
Solo Exhibition - Farbige Wahrheiten realidades a colores PUC Gallery, Cultural Center Puchheim, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Frieze of Paintings, Sendlinger Kulturschmiede, Munich, Germany; AR*TE, Flower, Kulturfestival, Eichenau, Germany; Artboxproject Basel 2.0, Digital Artwork Display, Germany; Außer Gewöhnlich, PUC, Puchheim, Germany; Annual, Eichenau Artists (FKBE), Yo solo sé de amor, ELAM, Havanna, Cuba.
Solo Exhibition - Myths and Magicians, the Dead and Wonders. Spirituality in Cuba, Einewelthaus, Munich, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Open Studio Sessions and 'Pillars of Society' Art Exhibition in Sendling (KiS), Clearinghaus and St. Korbinian, Munich, Germany; Semi-Annual, Magic and Spirits, Artist Circle (KREOS), Puchheim Ort. "Farben Freu(n)de" Künstlergemeinschaft, Ev. Gemeindehaus Eichenau, Germany; Colorful Friends" Artist Collective, Protestant Community Center Eichenau, Germany; Zürich 4.0, Digital Artwork Display the series Gemeinsam, Germany; Kunst Generationen Art, The Bridge Society, Munich, Germany; Open-Air Gallery, FKB Eichenau, Germany; Open Studios, Eichenau Art District, Germany; Cultural Network Exhibition at PUC, Puchheim, Germany; Open Construction Site Day, KiS and Urban Progress, Munich, Germany; Palo pa´Rumba, Art at Korbinian and KiS, Munich, Germany; Artboxproject Venice 1.0, Digital Artwork Display, Germany.
Solo Exhibition - Gynecological Practice, Goetheplatz Munich, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Emergence, Eichenau Art Competition, Protestant Community Hall Eichenau, Germany; Open Studio Days and “Proxies” KiS, Clearing House, and St. Korbinian, Munich, Germany; Summer Event “Open Door Month(s),” Eichenau Studio, Germany; Eichenau Cultural Gardens, Eichenau, Germany; Artboxproject Barcelona 1.0, Digital Artwork Display, Spain; Hotel Memories Miramar, Havana, Cuba.
Solo Exhibition - Foyer of the Protestant Care Center in Eichenau, Germany; Praxis at Rindermarkt, Munich, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Open Studio Days and “Systemically Relevant” KiS, Clearing House, and St. Korbinian, Munich, Germany; Living Cuba | Interactive Art Exhibition at LANZ 7, Munich, Germany; Trotzdem Tiefe" Geranium House, Nymphenburg Palace 2019, Germany.
Group Exhibition, Artboxproject Miami, Digital Artwork Display, USA; Open Studio Days KiS, Munich, Germany; Artboxproject Zurich 1.0, Digital Artwork Display, Germany; SchauMalKunst, Eichenau, Germany.
Solo Exhibition - Ensalada de Arte, AmperVerband Eichenau, Germany.
Group Exhibition - Open Studio Days KiS, Kontorhaus Munich, Germany.
Group Exhibition - SchauMalKunst” Eichenau, Germany.