Minister Villegas awarded recognition to the painter José Antonio Dávila

Published at: 14/01/2025 04:10 PM

With an emotional event, the Minister of Popular Power for Culture, Ernesto Villegas, presented an award that accredits the teacher José Antonio Dávila as Patrimonial Bearer of the Nation, who turned 90 and has become a reference in the plastic arts in the country.

“It doesn't happen every day that someone reaches that admirable age with the clarity, dynamism and youthful creativity of José Antonio Dávila. I have the privilege of having been honored with the open doors of his house-workshop. Go there, observe his brushes, his paintings, his canvases, his easel and watch him work on the work, dedicate months to a creation to get as close as possible to perfection, look out the window at the landscape that the mountain offers him to be inspired by its colors, its shape, its textures and after this gentleman of the arts dedicates himself to wrapping his work, crouching down on it, and you say 'damn I want to be like José Antonio Dávila ', he stressed.

He also highlighted Dávila's ability to approach the feelings of the people and the realities of deep Venezuela, being an example of excellence and committed artistic creation for the country's young people. “If anyone meets the characteristics of the Venezuelan affirmative, it's José Antonio Dávila,” he said.

In addition, he noted the artistic versatility and militancy of the teacher. “He went through different styles, actually, until he got to this one where we know him. We had the opportunity to inaugurate a beautiful exhibition a couple of years ago and there we saw the ways that the militant José Antonio Dávila found to express his cry of protest in the face of the harsh realities of his time. We saw how he hid in some corners of his work the political message he wanted to express. It's a courageous thing, an inspiring attitude,” he said.

The artist thanked the recognition and stressed that he is actively working. “Now it is a present of work, of achievements, of great health and of great well-being that I am going to share with everyone. My greatest desire is to leave a legacy of my work that is imperishable, in the sense that each stage is in its precise place. I thought that all my work from the revolutionary period could be in a place suited to that purpose,” he said.

Dávila noted that his work expresses his love for Venezuela. “Practically all my work has been a reflection of my love for this country, for the people of Venezuela, and to her I have dedicated everything I have done and will continue to do as long as I am in this world. I hope that for a long time I will be here bringing new ideas, new projects and new works for the whole country,” he said.

For his part, the director of the Institute for the Arts of Image and Space (IARTES), Zacarías García, offered words of recognition to José Antonio Dávila, who has been a reference for many artists in the country.

“It's extraordinary to see a work with social and political content, but also with achievements in terms of plastic, composition and structure. I want to remind Maestro Dávila that we have him in our memory and in our memory within what the history of Venezuelan art is, as a pillar, as a very important presence throughout this journey,” he said.

MINCULTURA PRESS