Carmen Herrera Looks Back At Her Astonishing Career - Artnet

8 June 2016

The inimitable artist Carmen Herrera turned 101 last week. Born in Cuba in 1915, she pursued her craft for over 60 years with little recognition from the mainstream art establishment, persevering out of a deep love for painting before being “discovered” by the market as an octogenarian.

It was not until the age of 89 that she sold her first painting, and in her 90s prestigious museums such as MoMA, the Hirschhorn, and Tate Modern acquired her works, which are characterized by a hard-edge painting style applied in vivid colors.

Remarkably, she’s still going strong. In May, she inaugurated the Lisson Gallery’s New York space with an exhibition of new works. And in September, the Whitney Museum will present a survey of over 50 of her paintings spanning three decades.

She still works most days, although her process has understandably changed. Now, Herrera sketches out her designs in her studio and apartment in Chelsea before they are transferred to canvas with the help of an assistant.

artnet News spoke to Herrera about how the art world has changed, and how she celebrated her birthday this year.

Click here to read the full article by Henri Neuendorf at Artnet.

Image: Carmen Herrera in her New York studio. Photo: Jason Schmidt