by Elvira Sanchez Blake, January 2021

Luis esboza una sonrisa de complacencia mientras me pasea por los alrededores del Venice Art Center, un lugar que se ufana de exhibir cuatro de sus esculturas: Torso, Sunny, Pétalos y Mariposa roja. Me explica que cada una de ellas representa los conceptos que guían su arte: la naturaleza, los animales y el ancestro nativo americano.
Luis Guillermo Fernández Lovera, Lugufelo, es un artista venezolano radicado desde 1990 en Florida. Cuando vino a Venice para asistir a una Convención de Arte Público en diciembre de 2016 se enamoró de la belleza del sitio.
Percibió que este lugar ofrecía una fuente de inspiración para su arte: la luz, el color, la vegetación y la abundante fauna silvestre. Así fue como decidieron mudarse con su esposa Sunny y su hijo Simón de cinco años, y convertir este en el centro de creación.

Lugufelo mantiene un taller en Miami donde conserva sus piezas y labora en las gigantescas estructuras que constituyen su arte.

El Venice Art Center recientemente inauguró la pieza llamada Torso en la entrada de su edificio localizado en la Calle Nokomis de la isla de Venice. La obra es un homenaje a las culturas indígenas de las Américas. Representa el torso de un hombre inclinado sobre el suelo para reflejar el acto de trabajo manual. Esta escultura hace parte de una serie dedicada a los nativos americanos e incluye otras partes del cuerpo: ojo, pie y mano. Cada figura mide más de dos metros y se pueden ver en forma autónoma.

Lugufelo mantiene un taller en Miami donde conserva sus piezas y labora en las gigantescas estructuras que constituyen su arte.

Luis cuenta que se inspiró en su abuela, una princesa de una tribu indígena de Venezuela, quien le enseñó sobre sus tradiciones ancestrales y le dio las herramientas para sentirse orgulloso del pasado amerindio. La serie la complementan otras piezas escultóricas de “atrapa sueños” recreados en diversas modalidades.
El arte de Lugufelo comprende una variedad de temas y conceptos. Gran parte de las figuras tienen como objetivo traducir la naturaleza a través del arte. Por eso, la variedad de mariposas, flamingos, elefantes, peces y flores que despliegan su colorido y armonía.

Sus esculturas se pueden ver en calles y hoteles de California, North Carolina y Colorado. En Florida se hallan en sitios públicos de Orlando, Miami, Coconut Creek, Doral y ahora en Venice. Otras se
encuentran en colecciones privadas y en galerías.

Lugufelo prefiere que su arte sea público y no limitado a unos cuantos que visitan una exposición.
Varios críticos han calificado las piezas de Lugufelo como arte cinético. Esta categoría ARTE
POR ELVIRA SÁNCHEZ-BLAKE Viene de la página 39 se refiere a la confluencia de variadas estructuras geométricas con color, luz y movimiento. La crítica de Arte, Milagros Bello, expresa que en el arte de Lugufelo existe un balance entre arte y naturaleza; abstracción y simplicidad. Según Bello, Lugufelo crea una dimensión visual bajo un paradigma científico de geometría óptica con múltiples evocaciones
( http://lugufelo.com/ ).

Quiere decir que las obras escultóricas ofrecen múltiples dimensiones tanto en forma como en movimiento para darle la posibilidad al espectador de interpretar su arte desde su propia perspectiva. Lugufelo estudió con el escultor venezolano Jesús Rafael Soto y aprendió las técnicas estilísticas de Naum
Gabo, Pablo Picasso y Víctor Vasarely.

Al término de nuestro recorrido por el Venice Art Center, Lugufelo expresa satisfacción de ver su obra en las instalaciones de este Centro Artístico, y por supuesto espera incursionar con su arte en Sarasota,
Tampa y otras ciudades del Golfo, como uno de los artistas latinoamericanos de mayor potencial en
esta área.

http://sunnycarrandidev.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Lugufelo_LifeStyleMagazine_October2018.pdf

on Thursday, 31 January 2019.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lugufelo.
Lugufelo, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born and raised in Venezuela, my name is Luis Guillermo Fernandez Lovera better known as “lugufelo” my artistic name, I came to the United States 20 years ago, escaping from a Latin American country full of political corruption and social instability. I was attracted to art since I was a child, my parents always encouraged me and my brothers into the music, painting and sculpting as important venues in an advanced community. I never formally studied art in school but I started sculpting wood at 16, and under my big brother tutelage I started working with acrylic while I was in college studying accounting, he was a great inspiration to me at that earlier stage of my life, I have been always influenced by nature and humanity.

Recently I have work with the City of Orlando and Coconut Creek Florida in a Temporary and Permanent public art installations. I have always been attracted by open spaces and the opportunity to express my view about life and nature, intervening the space with a shape that make the viewer think and get out of his comfort zone and inviting them to see beyond the actual proposal and creating their own personal experience about the piece. I like to apply dark colors sometimes but most of my pieces are in bright
primary colors maybe to sub-conscientiously reflect my positive outlook in life and my constant search for self-improvement as an artist and as a peaceful person.
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I believe in the past the art was a reflection of what was happening in their communities, the artist role today is to engage people with their communities through art, today with so many resources it is easy to get out there and give our opinion , artists become influencers, to open the eyes of people and make them more sensitive about their surroundings, to promote a positive mind set to make earth a better place to live.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to
see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Most of the time my sculptures are present in public displays around cities, parks, roundabouts, commercial buildings, hotels or private collections. Some cities are: – Coral Gables, South Miami, City of Doral, Orlando, Coconut Creek, Downtown Miami and Venice in Florida – Denver, Colorado – Napa Valley, California. The best way to support my work is becoming a collector but also following me or
recommending my art to a friend or a city will be always a great support.

http://lugufelo.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lugufelo/
https://www.facebook.com/lugufelo.artist
Contact Info:
Website: http://lugufelo.com/
Email: art@lugufelo.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lugufelo/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lugufelo.artist

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lugufelo.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started my artistic journey as a student of kinetic design under the guidance of a famous artist, a renowned artist at the time, in Paris.

This experience likely significantly shaped my artistic style, characterized by a multidimensional approach, engaging multiple senses, and evolving. Always my style has been influenced by the use of geometric shapes and the manipulation of tactile materials like aluminum, stainless steel, and wood.

Over the years, I drew inspiration from many other esteemed artists who helped me to develop further and refine my artistic vision. My installations can be scaled to enormous proportions and found in various environments, from corporate entrances to local parks.

Originally from Venezuela but (USA) American in my heart, it was a process to obtain US citizenship in 2009. I reside in Venice, Florida, and my Art Studio has been there since I moved in 2018.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Creating art can be expensive, requiring funds for art supplies, studio space, exhibitions, and marketing in a world where competitive art is growing daily; gaining recognition and exposure is no easy feat. Artistic development is a gradual process that demands time and experimentation.

Balancing art with life responsibilities is an ongoing challenge. And I have been dealing with them for several years; rejection from galleries, competitions, or audiences can be disheartening. Moreover, facing criticism adds to the emotional toll.

The art market has been changing every year and is influenced by various factors, leading to fluctuations in demand for specific styles or mediums. These challenges are part of my artist’s journey, requiring perseverance and resilience to navigate successfully until today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In English: Butterflies; in Spanish: Mariposas in French: Papillons; German: Schmetterlinge and in Italian: Farfalle; that’s my latest work, and I love it today.

My passion is for nature, and I think I will be working on it by trying to simplify the perfection of nature is my passion.

What matters most to you?
Butterflies, I think, because they are fragile insects that must transform to accomplish their final task.

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