Williams Carmona.

Born in Habana Cuba 1967

Present resides in San Juan, Puerto Rico, since 1990

Already in Cuba, Carmona’s art began to be bought by important collectionists who visited Havana. Since the early 90’s, already in Puerto Rico, his provoking Caribbean surrealism has been acquired and exposed in importants private collections all over the world, and is part of the collections of prestigious museums in the United States, Latin America and Europe. In 1997, while he was still in his early 30’s, Carmona’s work began to be succesfully auctioned in Christie’s and Sotheby’s, as well in many respected auctions for different charities. 

Williams was born in Havana, Cuba in 1967 and studied at the Universidad de Bellas Artes. He has lived and worked in Puerto Rico since 1991, exhibiting at various galleries and museums. Originally from a broken family and modest means, Williams scaled the peaks of the global artistic scene and is now recognized by critics, peers and sophisticated collectors as one of the luminaries of surrealism. In 1996, the artist was honored with a solo exhibition in his adopted homeland at the Museo de las Americas in San Juan, Puerto Rico. That same year, Williams was invited to participate in the Latin American masters group exhibition, Latin ViewPoints, at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Long Island, New York. His works have made their place in the homes of art collectors in America, Europe and South America, as well as auction houses including Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips.

Williams’ work can be found in numerous major public collections and prestigious museums, including the Nassau County Museum of Art, New York; Museum Del Barrio Private Collection, New York; Museum of the MOLAA, Los Angeles; Museum of Fine Arts, Miami, San Salvador; Museum of Fine Arts, Havana; Pompidou Museum, Paris; Ludwig Foundation Collection, Cologne, Germany: Private Collection of Sir Paul McCartney; Private Collection of Sir Elton John: Barack Obama Presidential Collection (Smithsonian); John Paulson Collection New York, Paul Allen Collection, Cadence Camel Barasch Collection, HG Contemporary Gallery New York, Chase Contemporary Gllery New York,  Jarnie Walsh Foundation, Madrid; MAP of Puerto Rican Art Collection, San Juan, Puerto Rico; United Nations Latin American Art Collection, New York; Jack Lemon Foundation, Los Angeles, CA; Fanjul Foundation, Miami, FL; Praxis Art International, New York: Spativm Gallery, Caracas, Venezuela; Cernuda Art Gallery, Miami, FL: Michele Esterne Collection, Washington DC; Murer Gallery, Atlanta, USA and many others collections around the world. 

– Ewar Gomez Collection, Art critic of The New York Times.

Select awards and honors include: Juror's Award of Excellence in painting, drawing and engraving, University of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba in 1990 and a Grand Prize, Painting, Salon Provincial, Pinar del Rio, Cuba in 1989. Numerous recognized art critics and artists have written about Williams Carmona, including the esteemed English surrealist painter Leonora Carrington. The art critic Manuel Lemaza acknowledged Williams to be one of the most provoking voices in constructing a surrealist discourse, and the New York Times art critic Edward M. Gomez defined him as a "remarkable painter whose magic lies in the manner in which he transforms his materials and uses them to give physical, visible form to ideas and emotions". Williams lives and works in San Juan, Puerto Rico.