Andrés Salas
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1964
Biography Details
Sculptor, industrial designer. Salas studied architecture and engineering at the University of Puerto Rico and industrial design and metallurgy at the University of Michigan. While he was working for the Puerto Rico Design Council, the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCOFomento) awarded him a grant to pursue graduate studies at the Domus Academy in Milan. When he completed his degree, the Italian designer Andrea Branzi, whose firm designs furniture, exhibitions, interiors, and objects, recruited him. He has worked with several groups and institutions in Europe, such as the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and with other Italian designers creating industrial products. He received an invitation from the MoMA (New York) to take part in the exhibition Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design in 1995, and was a prize winner at the Fourth Biennial of Young Artists, sponsored by the Chase Manhattan Bank of Puerto Rico. He is represented in the Latino-Hispanic Archive of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, New York, a branch of the Smithsonian Institution. Since 2002 he has been a guest professor of advanced design at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores in Monterrey, Mexico. He works as a consultant and has his own design and sculpture studio; he has done commissions for individuals, agencies, and institutions, such as the metal balustrades and railings, lamps, podium, and plaques for the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico.
Artist Statement
"For me creating is comparable to composing. The voices would be represented in the sizes and it is necessary to find harmony between the parts to do a good job."
Source: : Moreno, María Cristina. Revista Domingo, El Nuevo Día, 25 de octubre de 1998
Formation
Education
1989
- Master of Industrial Design and Furniture Design. Domus Academy, Milan, Italy
1985-1987
- Bachelor of Fine Arts, mayor in Industrial Design and Metallurgy. University of Michigan, Michigan, United States
1984-1985
- Architectural Studies. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1982-1984
- Engineering Studies. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Bayamón Campus, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Professional Experience
2013
- Lecturer. “Bravos” Exhibition, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Lecturer. “Las Diversas Facetas del Diseño Industrial”, Universiad Iberoamercana, Puebla, México
2012
- Lecturer. TEC, Departamento de Diseño Industria, Ecuela de Arquitectura, Arte y Diseño, Monterrey, Mexico
2008- present
- Founding partner. No Snow Venture, Chicago, Illinois, United States
2001- present
- Visiting Professor. Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores, Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
2001
- Visiting Professor. Universidad Autónoma, Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
1999
- Seminarian. Latino-Hispanos Designers Archive, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, New York, United States
1993-present
- Owner. Design Studio, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992-1994
- Partner, founder and director of industrial design. Ciudad de las Artes, Estudio Galería, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Architecture and interior design, Milton Ruiz and Associates, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Lecturer. Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
1989-1992
- Senior designer. Andrea Branzi Studio, Milan, Italy
1990-1991
- Participated in the creation of a new recycled plastic material called Neolite, Domus Academy Agency, Milan, Italy
1990
- Lecturer. Instituto de Diseño de Interiores, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Lecturer. Domus Academy, Milan, Italy
1988
- Designer. Concilio de Diseño de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Exhibitions
Solo shows
2004
- El espacio del objeto, Galería de Arte, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Centro Europa, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Group Shows
2013
- D4P, Desig for Puebla, Capilla del Art, Puebla, Mexico
2007
- Circa 07, Solo, Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Omix Factum, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Quinta Gran Subasta, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- IV Gran Subasta de Arte Puertorriqueño, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- IV Bienal de Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1995
- Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design, Museum of Moder Art, New York, United States
1994
- Scaperentola, Zapato Cinderella, Florencia, Italy; Milan, Italy; Paris, France; London, England; Berlin, Germany; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, United States
1993
- Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Attaca Bottane, Tokyo, Japan
1992
- Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Il Reggisecolo, París, Francia; Genova, Italy
- Attaca Bottane, Koln, Germany
1991
- Il Reggisecolo, Milan, Italy
- Attaca Bottane, Milan, Italy
1990
- Fiera di Verona, Verona, Italy
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
1994
- First Prize for Design. Salone Internazionale del Mobile di Milano, Milan, Italy
1992
- First Prize. IV Biennial of Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Scholarship. Banco Gubernamental de Fomento, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Collections
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Newspapers
Toledo Rohena, Vicente. “Convencion CODDI 2009”. EL VOCERO (San Juan, PR), 13 de amrzo de 2009, p. 3.
Rodríguez, Jorge. “Arte-factum para el MAPR”, “Nace el Omix Factum de Andrés Salas Acosta”. EL VOCERO (San Juan, PR), 29 de septiembre de 2007, p.4.
Dávila Estelritz, Adela. “El factor humano”. Primera Hora (San Juan, PR), 17 de agosto de 2007, p. 73.
Martínez Bousquet, Maribella. “Por el mundo futurista de Andrés Salas”. El Vocero (San Juan, PR), 25 de junio de 2005, p. p.E10.
Delgado Figueroa, Elaine. “Andrés Salas en retrospectiva”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 9 de septiembre de 2004, pp. 4-5.
Valdivia, Yadira. “Los diseños de Salas”, “Objetos del arte”, El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 19 de agosto de 2001, p.76.
Moreno, María Cristina. “Los viajes imaginarios de Andrés Salas”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 25 de octubre de 1998, pp. 6-7.
Lipton, Sarah. “Arte funcional”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 16 de julio de 1998, p.8.
Román, Elizabeth. “Vassallo to make the better domino table”. Caribbean Business (San Juan, PR), 29 de octubre de 1992, p.10.
Magazines
Reyes, Marina. “City Limits”. Prototipo 4 (San Juan, PR), Abril 2007, p.14.
Reyes, Marina. “Jugar toda una vida”. Prototipo 3 (San Juan, PR), Noviembre 2006, p.15.
Zayas Rodríguez, Lorna & Adrian Villeta. “Andrés Salas, funcionalidad hecha belleza”. Imagen (San Juan, PR), Noviembre 2004, p.208.
“Andrés Sala’s Sublime World”. San Juan Magazine (San Juan, PR), Julio-Agosto 2001, p. 55.
“El MAPR Paso a paso”. Caras (San Juan, PR), Junio 2000, p. 115.
“Hot to Watch”. San Juan Magazine (San Juan, PR), Diciembre-Enero 2000, p.47.
Arriaga, Vilam & Rodríguez, Miriam. “El ingenio y la creatividad de Andrés Salas”, “Andrés Salas, artista del diseño industrial”. Caribbena Properties (San Juan, PR), Año 2, N.2, 1990, p. 7.
Meléndez, Al. “Las coordenadas modernistas de Andrés Salas”. Revista Virtual (San Juan, PR, 1998-1999.
De Cuba, Natalia. “Puerto Rico’s heroes give the island hope for the holidays”. San Juan Magazine (San Juan, PR), Diciembre-Enero 1999, p. 50.
“Andrés Salas, un escultor de muebles puertorriqueños”. Diseño y Construcción (San Juan, PR), Año 6, N.4, 1998, p.18.
Cruz, Mónica. “Objetos de deseo de Andrés Salas” . Caras (San Juan, PR), Octubre 1998, p.20.
“Andrés Salas Acosta y sus obras de arte”. Agenda de Decoración (San Juan, PR), 1996-1998, p.78.
De Jesús, Dyanis. “El arte práctico de Andrés Salas”. Vidacool.com (San Juan, PR), 1997, p.29.
Santos, Ana. “Las tendencias para el año nuevo”. Imagen (San Juan, PR), Enero 1997, p.176.
“Andrés Salas Acosta, diseñador industrial, dueño de la luz, el espacio y los materiales”. Agenda de Decoración (San Juan, PR), Sección Capítulo VI, Tema III, p.194.
Gutiérrez, Mónica, “El placer de visitar a Andrés”. Caras (San Juan, PR), Febrero 1996, p.102.
De Laosa, Marilú. “El diseño de Andrés Salas: Ese increíble objeto del deseo”. Caras (San Juan, PR), 1991.