Arturo Montoto. Pinar del Río, 1953.

Painter and photographer. Outstanding personality of Cuban contemporary art. Master of Fine Arts in the specialty of Mural Painting at State Institute V. I. Súrikov in Moscow, 1984. Graduated in 1977 from National School of Art in Havana. Professor from the Superior Institute of Art`s painting staff. He is also a Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC)`s member.

Montoto served as teacher in Superior Institute of Arts in Havana, from 1986 up to 1993, being in the final years the Head of Painting Staff. He has also given conferences about his work and reflections about the art in institutes, academies and universities in Cuba and abroad, being, in addition, jury member at events of Cuban Contemporary Art.

Winner of remarkable recognitions along his artistic life, his artwork have been present in numerous magazines and books around the entire world.

Performing at about 30 solo and more than 80 group exhibitions, his artwork have been present in Pinar del Río and Havana City, Cuba; French Guyana, Panama; Viña del Mar, Chile; Miami, United States; Ciudad Panamá, Panama; France and Spain. It is also part of Permanent Collections of Basílica del Convento de San Francisco de Asís Museum, Havana, Cuba; Museum of the Vatican, Italy; Ceramic works at the Permanent Gallery of Inglaterra Hotel, Havana, Cuba; PROA Foundation, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museum of History in Pinar del Río, Cuba and the Sociedad de Amistad Hispanoamericana in French Guyana.

Private collections of Argentina, Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Colombia, United States, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, France, Spain, Russia, Italy, Switzerland, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Chile enjoy his artwork.

Being yet a scholar of Art Mastery at Surikov Academy in Moscow, he started his forays in photography showing a pretty interesting labor in this field. His natal Pinar del Río proudly boasted his first photographic exhibition. On 1985, he garnered the Second Prize of Photography and Mention in the National Salon in the National Fine Arts Museum.

Arturo Montoto has published texts and translations about related topics of art theory in such magazines as Dédalo and La Gaceta de Cuba. Cuban massive and communicative means, radio and TV have been covering his artistic trajectory with frequent interviews and news reportages about his art. Radio and TV programs have been airing his performance through Signos, La otra mirada, A capella, Arte en video and some other spaces.
Famous movie producers for the likes of Roberto Chile and Yuder Laffita have approached his creations in short-length documentaries aimed at promoting the best of his art.

Letras Cubanas Publishing House recently released a book undertaking his pictorial labor, under the title Tántalo frente al estanque, penned by the outstanding art critic and theoretician Rufo Caballero.