LAURA CESANA
Laura Cesana was born in Rome, spent her childhood in New York City and now lives and works in Portugal. She received a degree in Economics from the University of Rome, a degree in arts from the Escola Superior de Educação pela Arte in Lisbon and an M.A. in Education (specializing in Visual Arts) from Boston University. She studied painting, etching and drawing at the Atelier Livre of the Municipality of Porto Alegre, Brazil, etching at Temple University, in Rome, and drawing at the Art Student’s League in New York City, etc.
She was a teacher at diferent institutions, also at the Magistério Primário, Escola Superior de Educação pela Arte and Escola Superior de Educação (Teacher Training College), in Lisbon. She also created courses related to various forms of expression. At present, besides continuing with her activity as a painter, she gives a volunteer course at a public day center twice a month.
She has also illustrated books and newspaper articles, and held one-woman shows in Portugal, Italy, Brazil, Grand-Duché du Luxembourg, France, Hong-Kong, Macao and U.S.A..
Author of the bilingual book whose title and subtitle are:"JEWISH VESTIGES IN PORTUGAL - travels of a painter" (hard cover, 160 pages, over 116 colored photos of places and reproductions of paintings; text in English and Portuguese, notes, bibliography, index) Lisbon 1997, first edition.. Lisbon: 1998, second edition. ISBN: 972-97370-0-2).
Prizes and Grants
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Fulbright-Hays, March 1984 and Gulbenkian Foundation for three one-woman exhibit in U. S. A.: Washington D.C., Arlington, Virginia and Boston.
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Bronze Medal prize of the "Núcleo de Arte e Cultura", S. Paulo - Brazil, 1989.
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Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, post-graduation grant for investigation in painting on Jewish Vestiges in Portugal (years 1990-91 and 1991-92). This investigation finalized with the publishing of the bilingual book mentioned above.
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Distinguished by PALCUS / invited to talk at a Encruzilhada da Arte for a dialogue on her art work with the poet António Ramos Rosa, 2002
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In 2003 Laura Cesana was honored by the President of the Italian Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, with the title of "Commendatore dell'ordine della Stella della Solidarietà Italiana".
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In 2010 Laura Cesana was invited to participate at the Crypto-Judaic Studies Society Conference in San Antonio, Texas to talk about her book and research and to exhibit.
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In 2010 Laura Cesana was also invited to exhibit some art works of hers at the Embassy on the occasion of Italian Day
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In 2010 Laura Cesana was invited to do a presentation in Hungary (Budapest), at the international congress on ART THERAPY
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Encruzilhada das Artes, 44ª ed.: Fernando Pessoa e as Artes: Meeting with the painter Laura Cesana, 2012