Omar Estrada is a Cuban visual artist who works with interdisciplinary installation, sound, video, interactivity and narrative text. His artwork explores the tensions between Art, Science & Technology in the context of social structures, questioning the validity of political, cultural and knowledge approaches as absolute perceptions.

Since 1983, Estrada has had solo shows in Cuba, the Caribbean, South America and North America and has participated in group exhibitions in Cuba, Paraguay, Brasil, Spain, France, Korea, Canada and the USA including the Havana Biennial, the Asunción Biennial in Paraguay, the Caribbean Biennial in Dominican Republic and the Curitiba Biennial in Brazil. Estrada received his Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Arts (ISA) in Havana, Cuba. He has taught Art at the bachelor and master degree level for more than 20 years.

Omar Estrada lives and works in Toronto, Canada, where he currently co-curates the international art residency program Unpack Studio Arts Projects / Residency.

E-mail: omar[at]omarestrada[dot]com
Phone: 647-720-5069 

EDUCATION

1999 – 2002 Master of Fine Arts. University of Arts. Havana, CUBA
1990 – 1995 BFA. Major in Printmaking. Higher Arts Institute (ISA). Havana, CUBA

1979 – 1983 BA. Major in Painting, Drawing and Education. National School of Arts (ENA). Havana, CUBA
1976 – 1979 Graduate. Fine Arts Elementary School. Camaguey, CUBA

SELECTED ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

2016 – 2018 Sessional Lecturer - Colour & Visual Strategies. University of Toronto. Ontario, CANADA
2004 – 2007 Professor of Printmaking, Drawing & New Media. Barbados Community College, WI
2002 – 2004 Professor of the Master of Fine Arts Program. University of Arts. Havana, CUBA
1998 – 2003 Professor / Advisor Thesis Exhibitions. Higher Arts Institute (ISA). Havana, CUBA
1998 – 2002 Assistant Professor of Painting and Printmaking. Higher Arts Institute (ISA). Havana, CUBA

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018 Consensual Data Breakthrough. Wichita State University Gallery. Kansas, USA
2008 Four Colours (in collaboration with Carlos Estrada). "Teatro Area Stage" Gallery. Miami, USA
2004 The Tensions of the Centaur. Gallery of Caribbean Art. Speightstown. Barbados, WI
2003 Delito del Cuerpo (in collaboration with Carlos Estrada). House Exhibition. Havana, CUBA
2001 Reflect Cafe Project (two days lecture and show). Hallwalls Gallery. Buffalo, NY
2000 Cronica del grito. "Raul Martinez" Gallery. Havana, CUBA
1998 Paisaje Culpable (Painting). "La Acacia" Gallery. Havana, CUBA
1995 El Hombre Extemporaneo (Printmaking). ISA Gallery. Havana, CUBA

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2020 The Persistent Evidence. Samara Contemporary, Toronto, CANADA
2019 Democracy Doesn’t Work for Us. Nuit Blanche, Toronto, CANADA
2019 Declassified History: Archiving Latin America. SUR Gallery, Toronto, CANADA
2017 International Curituba Biennial. Paraná, BRAZIL
2016 From the Heroic to the Absurd. SUR Gallery. Toronto, CANADA
2015 Saso Sapukai| Grito de Libertad. I International Biennial of Asuncion. Asuncion, PARAGUAY
2015 Between the Idea and Experience. XII International Havana Biennial. Havana, CUBA
2015 Entre, Dentro, Fuera / Between, Inside, Outside. Curated by Dannys Montes de Oca
and Royce Smith. XII Havana Biennial. Havana, CUBA
2010 Perimetro. Primera Trienal Internacional del Caribe. Santo Domingo, DR
2007 Devoradores de Energia. La Triennale di Milano, ITALY
2006 Manual de Instrucciones. 9th Havana Biennial. Havana, CUBA
2005 Havana Sci - Fi. Curated by Adolfo V. Nodal. Bronx River Art Center. NY, USA
2004 Havana Science Fiction. Curated by Adolfo V. Nodal. MOCA DC. Washington, USA
2003 New Crop Havana. International Biennial of Art " Absolute LA". Los Angeles, USA
2002 Art of the Encyclopedic. Curated by Paul Vanouse. Carnegie Art Center. North Tonawanda, NY

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2018 Artist Talk Consensual Data. Wichita State University. Kansas, USA
2016 Curator Unpack Studio Platform: Art Projects & Residency. Toronto, CANADA / Havana, CUBA

2016 External Guest Artist MFA Intermedia Critiques. Concordia University. Montreal, CANADA 

2015 Lecturer Arte contemporáneo de las Américas. BIA. ISBA. Asuncion, PARAGUAY
2015 Lecturer Nuevos modelos para el arte contemporáneo. BIA, Congreso de la Nación. Asunción, PARAGUAY
2015 Artist Talk Nuevos centros interactivos entre arte, ciencia y tecnología. University of Arts. Havana, CUBA
2014 Lecturer ArtSci Salon: Genes + Culture. Fields Institute. University of Toronto, CANADA

2014 Participant Is Art School Killing Art? Images Festival and Media Arts Network. Toronto, CANADA

2013 Moderator Decolonial Practices with Rebecca Belmore, Paul Vanouse and Walter Mignolo.

2013 Participant Symposium Decolonial Aesthetics from the Americas. Organized by e-fagia. UofT, CANADA
2012 Curator Unpack Studio. Toronto, CANADA (from 2012 to 2015)
Managed an independent studio space, co-curated and organized events.