Luis Torruella
San Juan, P.R., 1967
Biography Details
Sculptor. In 1988, he completed his bachelor’s degree in art from Amherst College in Massachusetts and in 1989 studied and worked at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture of New Jersey, both in the United States. Upon his return to Puerto Rico, he pursued studies in sculpture under the tutelage of Pablo Rubio. From 1990 to 1997 he was art director at St. John’s School in San Juan and in 2001 became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ponce Art Museum. He has participated in multiple international art fairs and created numerous sculptural works commissioned in Puerto Rico and abroad. He also has participated in various solo and group exhibitions since 1989, including “Young Art” (1991) at the Chase Manhattan Bank in San Juan and “Luis Torruella: rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula”1 (1994) at the Botello Gallery in San Juan, P.R. His monumental work is well‑known for the use of enamels of intense color on aluminum, his preferred material, with which he creates textures and contrasts. He also uses other materials, such as concrete, and self describes his style as allusive to an “orderly chaos”.
1 From a famous poem, Majestad Negra (Black Majesty), by Luis Palés Matos that represents the Afro‑Caribbean culture in Puerto Rico.
Artist Statement
"Maintaining your creative capacity is a deliberate process like training for a marathon and the best way to learn is through mistakes. If a piece does not work out, the key is to have the confidence that in the long run it is going to work out. In general, the pieces which most fought you are the ones that came out better."
Luis Torruella
Source: Pérez Rivera, Tatiana. “Celebra sus 20 Torruella”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), mayo 2008.
Formation
Education
1989
- Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
1988
- Bachelor of Visual Arts. Amherst College, Massachusetts, United States
Professional Experience
2005
- Lecturer to teachers. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Lecturer to teachers. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Board of Trustees. Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
1990-1997
- Art Director. St. John’s School, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
Exhibitions
Solo Shows
2005
- Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Luis Torruella: Obra Reciente, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Colegio de Arquitectos, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
1997
- Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996
- Reflejo Melódico, In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Juan Morel Campos, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Luis Torruella: “Rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula”, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Sculpture Show, Eli Marsh Gallery, Amherst College, Massachusetts, United States
1992
- Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Theatrical Institute, Moscow, Russia
Group Shows
2013
- Biaggi & Faure Fine Arts, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2007
- Contexto puertorriqueño: del rococó colonial al arte global, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2006
- ArteAméricas, Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, United States
- CIRCA’06, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- VIII Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Subasta, Fundación de Niños que quieren sonreír, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Subasta, Fundación rescate cotorra puertorriqueña, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2005
- Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Subasta, Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, California, United States
- VIII Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Subasta, Fundación de Niños que quieren sonreír, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2004
- Galería Viota, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- VII Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2003
- VI Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2002
- Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Diseño de Mesas, Palacios, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- V Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2001
- Colectiva de Navidad, Galería Botello, San Juan , Puerto Rico
- Small Format, Reinhold Jewelers, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Piedra, Madera, Metal, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Galería 2001, Citibank Atrium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Esculturas Urbanas, Citibank Main Offices, Cupey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- IV Gran Subasta de Arte, Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
2000
- Subasta, Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Escultores Urbanos, Ctibank Main Offices, Cupey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Colectiva de Navidad, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pequeño Formato, Galería Raíces, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Small Format, Reinhold Jewelers, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1999
- Northshore Skokie Sculpture Park, Skokie, Illinois, United States
- Pier Walk 99, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Galería Amalia Mahoney, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
1998
- Colección Colectiva de Navidad, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pequeño Formato, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1997
- Colección Colectiva de Navidad, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pequeño Formato, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1996
- Arte Olímpico, Olympic Games, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
1995
- Artistas contra el SIDA, Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Exhibición de Esculturas, Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1994
- Primera Muestra de Arte, Comité Olímpico de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Plaza Palmanova, Palmas del Mar, Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Large Format Works, Citibank Offices Building, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Sculpture Exhibitions, El San Juan Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1993
- Plaza Palmanova, Palmas del Mar, Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Puerto Rico: Arte tridimensional hoy – cinco escultores, Museo de Arte e Historia, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Pequeño Formato, Galería Luigi Marrozzini, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Museo sin Paredes, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Seis Escultores, Galería Botello, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Recent Works with Arnaldo Roche-Rabell, Searle Caribbean, Caguas, Puerto Rico
1991
- IX Festival de Arte Contemporáneo, Plaza Las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pequeño Formato, Luiggi Marrozzini Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Obras de cuatro, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Arecibo Campus, Arecibo, Puerto Rico
- Arte Joven, Chase Manhattan Bank, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1990
- Galería Hermes, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Pequeño Formato, Luiggi Marrozzini Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1989
- Dubuque Art Show, The Jailhouse Gallery, Dubuque, Iowa, United States
- Casa Candina, San Juan , Puerto Rico
Awards, Distinctions and Achievements
2000
- Selected. Official Proposal for Urban Sculptures from the municipality of San Juan, Monumental Sculpture, Miramar, San Juan, Puerto Rico
1992
- Selected as representative for Puerto Rico. Universal Exposition of Seville (Expo '92), World Exposition, Seville, Spain
1987
- Athanasios Demetrios Skours Award. Amherst College, Massachusetts, United States
1998
- Wise Fine Arts Award. Amherst College, Massachusetts, United States
Collections
- Museum of Latin American Art, Los Angeles, California, United States
- Hotel Harbourview Suites, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- San Miguel, Palmas del Mar, Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Singer Island Hilton, Florida, United States
- Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Swissotel, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Saint John’s School, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Mead Art Museum, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States
- Sterling Winthrop, Pennsylvania, United States
- McConnell Valdés Law Firm, Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Caparra Classic Building, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Empresas Stuart, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Embassy Suites Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Centro Europa Office Building, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Citibank Main Offices, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Caribe Hilton Hotel, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Equifax Headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
- Mova Pharmaceuticals, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Microsoft Corp., San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Parque de las Ciencias, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Montehiedra, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Searle Pharmaceuticals, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- La Torre de Plaza las Américas, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Hotel El Convento, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Plaza Monumento al Veterano, Cayey, Puerto Rico
- Hotel Condado Plaza, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Wyndham Hotel, Paseo Porturario, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- B. Fernández Main Offices, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Northshore Skokie Sculpture Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- City View Plaza Complex, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
- Proyecto Laderas de San Juan, Caguas, Puerto Rico
- Innovative Systems Headquarters, Mitchell, South Dakota, United States
- VIG Plaza, Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Paraíso de Coamo, Coamo, Puerto Rico
- Palma Real, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Fundación Ángel Ramos, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- King’s Court Playa, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Edificio Verizon Wireless, San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Bacardi Corporation Headquarters, Cataño, Puerto Rico
- RG Bank Headquarters, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Bibliography
Books
Hermandad de Artistas Gráficos de Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico Arte e Identidad. San Juan, P.R.: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, 1998.
Los tesoros de la pintura puertorriqueña. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. San Juan, P.R. 2000.
Catalogues
“Luis Torruella: Obra Reciente”. Galería Botello (San Juan, PR), Mayo-junio 2002.
“Luis Torruella: rumba, macumba, candombe, bámbula”. Galería Botello (San Juan, PR), abril 1994.
“Quinta Gran Subasta” Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR), 6 de junio de 2002.
“IV Gran Subasta de Arte Puertorriqueño”. Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR), junio de 2001.
Newspapers
Alegre Barrios, Mario. “Estrena hogar ‘Reflejo melódico.” El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), p. 97.
Alegre Barrios, Mario. “Edificaciones con Torruella”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 16 de mayo de 2002, p. 96.
Alegre Barrios, Mario. “Sembrador de esculturas urbanas”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 11 de abril de 1999, p. 6.
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Sculpting a special rhythm, beauty, and grace”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), 17 de abril de 1994, p. 7.
Álvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Torruella exhibit full of strenght and color”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), 11 de septiembre de 1983, p. 10.
Alvarez Lezama, Manuel. “Visions behind abstract sculpture”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), p. 16.
De Cuba, Natalia. “The emergence of sculpture”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), 28 de mayo de 1996, p .27.
Ferrer, Melba. “Uniting suburban and urban lifestyles through the eyes of a sculptor”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), 6 de septiembre de 2000, p. 31.
Ferrer, Melba. “Torruella exhibe su última escultura”. The San Juan Star (San Juan, PR), 6 de septiembre de 2000, p. 31.
García Gutiérrez, Enrique. “Diversificación del pensamiento escultórico”. Revista El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 16 de junio de 2002, p. 6-7.
García Gutiérrez, Enrique. “Luis Torruella y el regreso de la escultura”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 10 de abril de 1994, p. 12-14.
González Pérez, Leyra E. “Domingos Familiares en el MAPR”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 29 de agosto de 2008, p. 76.
Ortiz, Rivera Tamara. “Luis Torruella: Virtuoso del Metal”. Imagen (San Juan, PR), p. 120.
Pérez Rivera, Tatiana. “Celebra sus 20 Torruella”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 13 de mayo de 2008, pp. 60-61.
Ramos, Lourdes. “El Arte Público: ¿Qué es?” El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 16 de noviembre de 2003, p. 4.
Rodríguez, Dalila. “Soldadura que dura”. Sintaxis (San Juan, PR), abril-mayo 2002.
Stroman, Sasha. “Obra Reciente de Luis Torruella”. El Vocero (San Juan, PR), 8 de junio de 2002, pp. E6-E7.
“Torruella expone sus esculturas en España”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 1 de mayo de 2001, p. 74.
Vázquez Zapata, Larissa. “Torruella en Chicago”. El Nuevo Día (San Juan, PR), 30 de mayo de 1999, p. 86.