Sofia Maldonado Named Official Fine Artist for the 2020 Latin Grammy Awards

The Latin Recording Academy® Names Sofia Maldonado Official Artist for the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®

MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Latin Recording Academy® has announced that Puerto Rican fine artist Sofia Maldonado has been selected as the official artist of the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards®. Maldonado's work will be featured prominently on collateral materials before and during the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, which will broadcast live on Univision on Nov. 19, 2020 from 8–11 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

    “Maldonado's art is powerful and full of effervescent colors reminiscent of Puerto Rico, the island where she was born. Her art recognizes resilience amid moments of despair while also celebrating and empowering Latin communities”

"Maldonado's art is powerful and full of effervescent colors reminiscent of Puerto Rico, the island where she was born. Her art recognizes resilience amid moments of despair while also celebrating and empowering Latin communities," said Gabriel Abaroa Jr., President/CEO of The Latin Recording Academy. "Together, these components reflect the elements of Latin music that unite us all during joyful but also difficult moments."

In the artwork created especially for the 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, Maldonado portrays through vibrant colors the importance of enjoying life even during challenging times. Adjusting to an even more virtual world, the official artwork will be rendered mainly, digitally. Inclusive of the iconic gramophone symbolizing excellence in music, this year's artwork also includes an outline of a tropical tree — a yagrumo, which symbolizes rebirth. The yagrumo is native to Puerto Rico and after a hurricane is the first tree to reemerge. Additionally, in Puerto Rico, the yagrumo is used to create music instruments such as the tiple and cuatro puertorriqueño, a traditional string instrument smaller than a guitar but larger than a mandolin.

An acclaimed painter and muralist from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, Maldonado graduated from the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, New York and the San Juan School of Visual Arts. She has shown her work in individual and collective exhibits in galleries, museums and public spaces in all over the world, including top specific locations such as Whitney Biennial, the Museum of Latin American Art, as well as Scope and Art Miami. Maldonado's characteristic style is recognizable for its Caribbean palette and roots in muralism (or muralist art). She deconstructs organic forms in order to explore color fields in her work.

"It is an honor to be the first Puerto Rican artist to collaborate with such an iconic organization and award show, especially during a time when we need to empower and bring joy to our communities. My art has always been in conversation with my context and during the past few months, living in the pandemic and seeing the resilience of our Latino community, inspired the creation of this piece and will continue to inspire my work in the future," said Maldonado.

Use of 21st Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards artwork requires express written permission from The Latin Recording Academy. Send requests to Communications.LatinAcademy@grammy.com.

For more information and latest news, visit the official Latin Recording Academy site at www.LatinGRAMMY.com. Follow us on Facebook (LatinGRAMMYs), Twitter (@LatinGRAMMYs) or Instagram (@LatinGRAMMYs), and use #LatinGRAMMY on popular social media platforms.

ABOUT THE LATIN RECORDING ACADEMY:
The Latin Recording Academy is an international nonprofit dedicated to nurturing, celebrating, honoring and elevating Latin music and its creators. Established as the global authority on Latin music, the membership-based organization composed of music professionals produces the annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, The Biggest Night in Latin Music, which honors excellence in the recording arts and sciences, in addition to providing educational and outreach programs for the music community through its Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation®. For more information, please visit LatinGRAMMY.com.

ABOUT SOFIA MALDONADO:
Sofía Maldonado-Suárez is a Puerto Rican artist of Cuban descent. She has dedicated her career to transforming derelict spaces, constructing a poetic experience of colorful abstractions, within uninhabited buildings. Maldonado's urban walkabouts inspired a desire to use color to impact the environment and engage the community through workshops and versatile community engagement initiatives. The artist also has a dynamic studio practice as a painter and digital illustrator. Collaborations with musicians and underground subcultures are an integral part of her artistic practice and aesthetic. She represents feminine energy in her expressive outlines and sensually themed drawings that challenge cultural myths and social constructs. Throughout her career, Maldonado’s illustrations of femininity have been defiant and present the pleasure associated with the female experience in detail. Maldonado has earned a BFA from the Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico and an MFA from Pratt Institute, in Brooklyn, New York.

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