The work of Carlos Benavídez is one of the most interesting mergers of today between technical
virtuosity and sensitive expression.
It can be framed inside contemporary realism, but it would be unfair to just define it that way,
because his work also lives in constant tension between hyperrealism and expressionism.
His sculptures touch the perfection of mimesis, but incredibly they do not fall into the fictitious
hardness of excess technique, his expressionism on the other hand is palpable and fundamental in
the result of his pieces.
He is undoubtedly the most important portraitist sculptor of our time, and in the monumental he
recovers the path of Rogelio Yrurtya; he said about Benavidez…. ”He gives the clay that which still
has no name, some say spirit or soul , life, shine or anima, that which makes their works moving,
where the eyes look and are looked at, the bronze hands become warm or the wind moves the
concrete blocks, because they bear their mark. ”
Ricardo Celma
Bio
Carlos Alberto Benavidez was born on April 8, 1963 in the city of Córdoba, province of Córdoba,
Argentina. He studied at the provincial art school “Figueroa Alcorta”; He previously studied for two
years architecture, University of the same city.
Chronology:
2002: He begins with the series «Tribute» (serial busts of 20 cm of prominent personalities of
culture, politics, sports, etc …)
2005: He Participated in the fair of «Classical Art» and the following year, a group of artists
intervened his work «Jorge Luis Borges» in the same artistic fair. He is the author of the interpretation
of “San José y el Niño” for the Del Carmen chapel in the city of Carlos Paz, province
of Córdoba; Artwork that stands out for the magnificent paternal scene that consecrates Carlos
Benavidez as «an author who has known how to exalt the divine with human sense, which is
transmitted in all his religious works.»
2009: Opus Dei of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay commissioned him with a “San José and El
Niño” for his headquarters in Montevideo; he also commissioned with a artwork to San José María
Escrivá de Balaguer.
2010: He was the winner of the National contest to make the monument to Mercedes Sosa, in the
City of La Plata, organized by the Cultural Institute of the province of Buenos Aires. This piece was
placed in the amphitheater of Martín Fierro Lake in that city. It measures 3.20 m high.
At the request of the Cultural Institute of the province of Buenos Aires, he made the tribute
monument to Eva Duarte de Perón, for the city of Los Toldos, province of Buenos Aires, located in
the main access of the city in front of the old train station. It measures 3 m high.
In the same year, in the city of Mar del Plata, he was commissioned to create Astor Piazzolla to be
inaugurated at the IV Ibero-American Congress of Culture and in commemoration of the 90th
anniversary of the birth of the musician, installed in the Millennium Square, of that city. Province of
Buenos Aires.
2011: He is chosen again to make the Sculpture Tribute to Father Mario Pantaleo: he made a work with his image to be placed in the Foundation of the same name, in González Catán, province of Buenos Aires. Is 1.60 m high. In that year he made an urban sculpture of the singer duo «Sui GENERIS» (Charly García and Nito Mestre) also opened in the city of Mar del Plata. Province of Buenos Aires.
He creates and inaugurates the monument to the Construction Worker, located in the
neighborhood of Nueva Córdoba, in front of the Emilio Caraffa museum in the city of Córdoba.
It is the first monument to the construction worker in Argentina. It measures 2.20 m high.
He made the beautiful work of Eva Duarte de Perón of 3.00 meters at request of the Cultural
Institute of the province of Buenos Aires. The monument is located in the main access of the city in front of the old Los Toldos railway station.
2012: He was named a member of “Portrait Sculptors of The Americas”, invited by Stuart
Williamson and Heidi Maiers, sculptors of international prestige. This association brings together the best portraitists in America.
2014: He made the first monument in Argentina to former President Juan Domingo Perón, won by
competition held by the Legislature of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. It measures 5 meters high.
For the City of Córdoba, a bust tribute to the former governor, Atilio López, 1.20 meters high, was inaugurated at the intersection of Av. Vélez Sarsfield and Bv. Illia.
2016: He made Juan Manuel Fangio for Mercedes-Benz Argentina placing him at the entrance of the Industrial Center of Virrey del Pino. This monument represents it on a human scale next to the Mercedes-Benz W196.
Begins the series «tribute sculptures» of the 10 most important athlete in Argentine history in the «Paseo de la Gloria» in the aristocratic area of Puerto Madero. All 2 meters high.
– Manu Ginobili (Basketball)
– Gabriela Sabatini (Tennis)
– Guillermo Vilas (Tennis)
– Juan Manuel Fangio (Car Racing)
– Lionel Messi (Football)
– Hugo Porta (Rugby)
– Roberto de Vicenzo (Golf)
– Pascual Pérez (Boxing)
– Luciana Aymar (Hockey)
– José Meolans (Swimming)
2018: He made the monument to former president Dr. Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín in the city of La Plata, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It measures 2.30 meters high.
For the city of Bahía Blanca, he pays tribute to Diego Niño, who opened a “Children’s Day” at the Mundial Fútbol Club, of which he is Honorary President.
2019: He made «Lavanderas del Xibi-Xibi or Río Chico» for the City of San Salvador de Jujuy.
Sculptural group that shows a group of laundresses chatting on the banks of the river, in total complicity, evoking the beloved and remembered women who performed that work.
Distinctions
In addition of being the favorite sculptor of numerous collectors and private entities, he is the national sculptor with the most public statuary in the country.
As a result of this and its quality increasingly recognized in the world, in 2019, and despite being an artist born and raised in the city of Córdoba, he was highlighted with the exclusive merit of Outstanding Personality of the Culture of the City of Buenos Aires (Federal Capital of the Argentine Republic),
award and recognition that exalted him even with his colleagues (throughout the world) as an artist of international quality.
Publicly recognized works.
Their busts of San Martín, Belgrano, Sarmiento and other heroes are found in countless cities of the
country.
On the other hand, other outstanding personalities of his nation were made by him to be exhibited on public roads, namely:
Sculpture Tribute to Ricardo Bochini – 2.00 meters high, year 2005, placed in the Independent Athletic Club of the city of Avellaneda, in the Province of Buenos Aires.
Sculpture Tribute to Diego Maradona – 2.70 meters high, 2006 for the Club Mundial Fútbol Club, in the city of Bahía Blanca in the Province of Buenos Aires.
Sculptures Tribute by Juan Domingo Perón and Omar Efraín Torrijos Herrera, for the “Plaza
Argentina” in the city of Panama, Republic of Panama. –1.20 meters, placed in the La Chorrera district of the Amador District of that city, in the Omar Torrijos mausoleum square, at the request of the ZURBARÁN Gallery of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
Museums that acquired his work
Güemes Museum.
Sculptural set «Los Infernales». Province of Salta Argentinian republic.
Talbot Museum
Bust of Louis Jácques Mandé Daguerre.
Daguerre Museum in Bry-sur-Marne.
Bust of Louis Jácques Mandé Daguerre.
Private work
In addition of having participated as a jury in different events, he has an innumerable amount of
portraits to people and family groups, made for important collectors and personalities of the art world.
Today, already enjoying success in the artistic world and popularity, all achieved after his
enormous trajectory and effort, he plans to spread to the world through «Sculptures Benavidez», his art company, «Beta Foundry» and «Foundation Carlos Benavidez».