Harry Abend

Harry Abend, OFM, is a Polish-born Venezuelan sculptor and architect.

Born on May 5, 1937 in Jarosław, Poland, Abend moved at age 11 to Venezuela with his family. He studied at Colegio Moral y Luces and then at the Liceo Andrés Bello in Caracas. He graduated from high school and went on to study architecture at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, where he was taught by Carlos Raúl Villanueva, among others.

Abend participated in an art workshop dictated by acclaimed British sculptor Kenneth Armitage in 1964. Between 1965 and 1970, he was the professor of tridimensional composition at the Neumann Institute of Design, where other renowned artists such as Gego taught similar courses. He established himself in London for six years, then returned to Caracas to continue his artistic work. In the next following decades, his style developed and matured as he engaged in numerous projects, installations, art exhibitions and collectives. Abend's sculptures are done mainly in wood, bronze, and concrete; he is also known for designing high-scale architectural elements of important buildings, such as the façade of the Teatro Teresa Carreño, the ceiling of the Caracas Israeli Union synagogue, and the new perimeter fence of the Court of Supreme Justice in Venezuela. Abend is a skilled engraver and illustrator; he also engages in jewelry making, working primarily with gold, silver and precious gems. The elegant nature of his jewels is such that he was commissioned by the Venezuelan Government several times to craft pieces as gifts for important diplomatic personalities (e.g., he produced a complete jewelry set for Patricia Nixon while she was the First Lady of the United States).

Abend has exhibited in numerous galleries, museums and art events around the world, some of which are:

- Salon D'Empaire, Maracaibo (Shell Award winner for sculpture).

- Goldsmith's Hall, London.

- Electrum Gallery, London.

- Roundhouse Gallery, London.

- Trasnocho Cultural Center.

...
Wikipedia