Ileana Tolibia

B. 1979 La Habana, Cuba

Lives and works in Miami, Florida USA

Ileana Tolibia generates lyrical and unexpected juxtapositions of ambiguous images that are layered on the canvas. Lines, colors, and forms merge to hide and reveal figures and landscapes, gravitating towards and around each other, all the while generating new perceptual possibilities for both, herself and the viewer. Her work bridges personal experience with universal themes, inviting viewers into a space of imaginative discovery. Through a synthesis of dreamlike imagery, poetic references, and painterly abstraction, her paintings seek to offer an evolving perceptual experience, reflecting the complexities of human perception in an age of rapid technological change.

Ileana Tolibia was born and raised in Cuba. She attended the National Academy of Beaux Arts “San Alejandro” before immigrating to Miami in the mid 90s. In 2006, she received her BFA from New World School of the Arts in 2006, and in 2022 she obtained her MFA in Studio Art, with a concentration in painting from University of Miami.

Tolibia has exhibited widely, and her work is part of private collections nationally and internationally. She has been the recipient of various awards and distinctions, both in Cuba and Miami, since 1992. While at UM, she was nominated for Outstanding Research Award and was the recipient of the Art Department Drawing Award. In 2017, she was awarded the Artist Access Grant. In 2013, Tolibia’s work was selected for inclusion in a book publication about contemporary artists working in central Florida.

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