Born: 1957, Bogota, Colombia

CHILDHOOD IMPRESSIONS
The celebrated Colombian artist Lina Binkele shares much of the interest and insight of so many whom preceded her with their similar pre-occupation and respect for the equestrian image. Born in Bogota , the artist grew up in the green countryside below the towering mountainous terrain that is synonymous with this beautiful country. At a very early age Lina began riding horses on her parents‘ farm, which offered her the unigue luxury of being able to go almost anywhere her heart desired.

As she galloped through the countryside the artist and the horse became as one, exploring nature and the surprising beauty of an expanding universe. These daily experiences became profound influences on the young girl‘s career choices in life. To own a horse requires that you take full responsibility for its daily care. Grooming an animal regularly develops a personal bonding, but more importantly for an artist, it develops the intimate knowledge of tangible details and muscular structure. Brushing exercises the mind as well as one‘s physical being. You begin to memorize how the living coat of a horse‘s hair falls into a sea of waving patterns and gentele changing color. These delightful moments come back to Lina throughout the evolving stages of creating drawings, paintings, and sculpture on the subject she knows intimately and loves so well.

Years of being alone with her tall, trusty equine companion developed a fierce independence of thought and expression. She cultivated her own sense of history and interpretation of nature. There are vivid recollections of evening walks with her father examining the bright stars floating in space high above the mountains. These early discoveries greatly expanded the universe for the young creative student of nature and propelled her desire to document her interest particularly through sketching.

Her early persepective on nature combined with her penchant for drawing led her to become an anthroplogist in Bogota . Later she lived in Mexico where she continued her studies, which expanded into surveys of mural paintings at the National Museum of Mexico. She started taking carving classes in her early twenties where she learned the basics of form and methodology.

Her first successful project was a small horse, which led to a total fascination with detail relating to her childhood recollections. After a period of time she had created over ninety equine shapes in wood. Later she explored the immediacy of clay bronze. One day, while contemplating the mechanical statue-like stiffness of a horse form, she decided to literally punch the clay haphazardly, which immediately added an expressionist gesture that she hoped would naturally evolve. Another example of molding childhood memories is evident in the composition "Young girl riding a horse," where a beautiful small girl has mounted her horse to begin a journey together. Both seem as one. Each slightly turns their neck in the same direction. The figure seems to be overpowered by the large animal that supports her, although she seems to be very much in control.

Years have passed with daily dedication and concentration in the studio producing a magnificent collection of fiqures and horses both seperately and together as in nature and life. This kind of skill does not develop overnight, no matter the intensity of intuitive talent. The bronzes show us the results of her reflective powers of concentration and remarkable hands-on care of crafting these poetic subjects. Nature offers perfect natural porportion and Lina‘s photographic childhood memories of harmonious shapes and forms become perfect influences on her sensitive compositions. Her surface textures are rough and rugged like the Colombian countryside. The brown and grey combinations of colors are reminiscent of the earthen trails she followed as a child. The artist captures a true spirit and then ceremoniously releases this charm into a exhibition arena.

A close inspection of her work reveals a highly skilled and talented eye for breathing life into cast material. "Lady with Angel" is a life-size bronze that demonstrates the artist‘s ability to design multi-level compositions that are full of life and emotion. In this work a delicate young female raises her hand slightly toward the horse‘s mouth as the animal responds by turning his strong head in a gentle arch, which creates a full circle between two. The horse stands characteristically at attention with respect and admiration. It is a sculpture that has unforgettable qualities.

Evidence of the artist‘s inventive strength can also be seen in her studies of legless horse torsos. By abstracting the shape further without the natural design support of four legs the creator is forced to concentrate on rhythmic perimeters from head to tail. Still the author retains a strict integrity of ironic motion that is triumph. Other works in this series include sensitive torsos of female images that retain patinas rich in texture and color that admirably compare to larger hoofed casts. Whatever the subject, the artist instills a myterious spirit that is loving and dignified. As a counterpoint, Binkele occasionally switches her directions by molding female torsos with the same tenderness and attention to detail. The contrapposto compositions catch a thoughtful figure with spontaneity and integrity. The patina applied is also almost identical to the formula utilized so successfully on her larger surfaces that tend to unify with a common denominator of color and crafted personality, which idenifies the artist‘s unique approach to sculptural form.

Education:
1980 Anthropologist, Los Andes University , Bogota .
1980 Museologist, Institute of Anthropology and History, Paul Coremans Institute, Mexico D.F.
1981 Anthroplogy, Indian affairs and history, UNAM, Mexico D.F.
1982 Museographer, consultant in anthropology. Conseil International des Musees, ICOM.
1982-1985 Salon XX, Banco de Colombia, Bogota.
1984 Wood Carving, SENA, Bogota .
1991 Takes courses in castling and foundry, SENA, Bogota .

Exhibitions:
INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS
1987 La Francia Gallery , Medellin .
1989 Santafe de Bogota Foundation, Bogota .
1990 Spazio Gallery, Bogota .
1991 Spazio Gallery, Bogota .
1996 Centro Sala de Decoracion, Porto Bello, Bogota .
1996 Mirarte, International Latin American Art Fair, Bogota .
1997 Hacienda Royal, Bogota .
1997 Parque Centeral Bavaria , Bogota .
1997 The Santander Gallery, Miami , Florida .
1997 The collectors Corner, The Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Naples , Florida .
1998 Parquue Central Bavaria, Bogota
1999 The Americas Collection, Miami, Florida
2001 Collection DOBE, Fine Art, New York, New York
2001 Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
1986 Bogota Chamber of Commerce, Bogota
1987 Gallery Hillman-Gemini, New York
1992 El Museo Gallery, Bogota
1992 El Museo Gallery, Deco, Bogota
1993 Deco, Bogota
1994 Gartner Uribe Gallery, Bogota
1997 Palacio Vizcaya, Miami, Florida
1997 The Americas Collection, Miami, Florida
1998 The Equestrian Inspiration. The Americas Collection, Miami, Florida
1998 Emily Peterson Gallery, New York
1998-1999 Dobe Collection Art Gallery, New York
1999 Art International, New York
1999 Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida
1999 Anita Shapolsky Gallery, New York
1999 Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach International Art & Antigue Fair, Florida
1999 The Americas Collection, Coral Gables, Florida
1999 Luis Perez Art Gallery Miami, Miami, Florida
1999 Dobe Collection, New York
1999 Gasiunasen Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida
1999 The Americas Collection, Miami, Florida
1999 Luis Perez, Art Miami, Miami, Florida
1999 Staller Center for the Arts, State University of New York at Stony Brook, New York
1999 Beverly Hills International Art & Antigue Fair,Gasiunasen Gallery
2000 Skot Foreman Fine Arts, Dania Beach, Florida
2000 Vilanova Gallery, El Salvador, San Salvador
2000 Gasiunansen Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida
2000 Gasiunasen Gallery, Dallas International Art & Antique Fair, Texas
2000 Collection DOBE, Fine Art, New York, New York
2001 Skot Foreman Fine Art, Art Miami, Miami, Florida
2001 Beck & Eggeling, Dusseldorf, Germany
2001 Collection DOBE, Fine Art, Works on paper, The Armory 2001, New York, New York