Abstract painter of the 50's, he started a change towards the figuration after 1963, eliminating progressively the own characters of the previous painting to achieve, on the base of popular paintings, pictures totally new.

From the combination of his pictorial and graphic works, he ellaborated a new style: from the first picture (1965) until the cover of the magazine Cuba (1969), the repeteated heads of Martí give evidence of the way roved by the artist.

His irradiation has been felt through his pictures, designs for magazines and books, he also worked for Instituto Cubano del Libro, creating its logo and made movie posters: the Cuban film Lucía is a good example of artistic quality, suitableness to the theme and good use of the technical posibilities of the poster as a mean of wide communication.

Prizes and recognitions.
1949 - Honourable Mention at Salon of Fine Arts Circle in Havana.
1950 - Honourable Mention at Salon of Fine Arts Circle in Havana.
1951 - Silver Medal at the Cuban Painting Exhibition, Tampa University, United States.
1959 - Prize to the best photographic set at Salon Racial Integration, Havana.
1960 - First Prize of Photography at the Conquest Carnnival of Havana.
1965 - Brass Medal at the International Fair of Book IBA, Leipzing, RDA.
1971 - Silver Medal at the International Exposition of Book IBA, Liepzing, RDA.
1981 - Distinction for the National Culture.
1983 - Medal Alejo Carpentier.
1995 - National Plastic Arts Prize, conferred by the first time.

Solo Exhibitions
1948 - He exposes a dozen works of academic style at the vestibule of Ada theater, in Matanzas.
1950 - Second solo exhibition at the Lyceum, Havana.
1952 - He made two solo exhibitions: one at Matanzas Gallery and the other at the Lyceum.
1964 - Homages, starting in Pop, through collage.
1966 - He started on working Martiana Iconography, combining elements of popular painting and POP.
1975 - He exposes his drawings and designs at the Center of Cuban Studies of New York.
1978 - The Great Family, at Habana Gallery. This exhibition travelled to Santiago de Cuba.
1980 - Raúl Martínez. Abstractions of 57 to 66. L Gallery, in Havana.
1984 - He exposes at I Biennial of Havana.
1985 - Paint my friend the Painter, tempers at Habana Gallery.
1986 - He presented an exhibition of collages about themes of the conquest at the II Biennial of Havana.
1988 - We, Retrospective Exhibition from July to December at National Museum.
1989 - About the Conquest, at the vestibule of Charles Chapplin Movie, Havana. -Raúl Martínez, Xawerego Gallery, Varsovia, Polony.- Selection of the retrospective exposed at the National Museum, Latin American Gallery, Cracovia.
1992 - Comments of the Conquest, (nov.dic.), new series of collages. - 90 Islands, Juan David Gallery, Havana.
1994 - New exhibition of Abstract Painting at Wifredo Lam. -Anthological Exposition at Los Lavaderos Gallery, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias Islands.

Group Exhibitions
1953 - He exposes with The Eleven Group, at the galleries: Lyceum, La Rampa
1954 - He sums up to the exposition Contemporary Cuban Plastic (Anti Biennial), against the exposition organized by National Institute of Culture and the Hispanicism Council; under the Batista dictatorship, with reason of Martí Centennial.
1955 - He participated in two group exhibitions of Abstract Painting with The Eleven Group.
1959 - Racial Integration, Fine Arts Museum, Havana.
1960 - He participated in II Biennial of Mexico, Fine Arts Palace, Mexico.
1961 - He exhibits works in Salon of May, Paris. Group exhibitions in Montreal, Canada and Ewan Phillips Gallery in London, England.
1970 - Participation in Salon 70 with his work ISLA 70, National Museum, Havana.
1975 - Participation in an exhibition of painting at Modern Art Museum of Mexico.
1977 - He exposes collectively at the exhibition Cultura, Art et Revolution. Láffiche cubaine contemporaine, at the center George Pompidou, Paris.
1979 - Participation in the Salon of Drawings of the Foundation Joan Miró, Barcelona.
1980 - Participation in the First Salon of Painting and Sculpture Carlos Enríquez, International Art Center, Havana. -IX Biennial of Brno, Czechoslovak and XIII International Biennial of Varsovia.
1982 - Participation in the Biennial of Venecia.
1983 - Participation in two group exhibitions in the United States about photography and Cuban posters at II International Salon Michoacano in miniature, Mexico.
1984 - Participation with Mario García Goya and Cuban artisans in the achievement of the installation La Gran Familia, for IV Biennial in Venecia.
1991 - Participation in X International Biennial of Graphic from Valparaiso, Chile and III International Biennial of Cuenca, Ecuador.

More information at La Bijirita and National Council of Plastic Arts.

Artwork available in our Painting Shop.