During elementary school, Ernesto Bertani was an outstanding student; however, this did not apply during high school. Apparently, Ernesto got bored and instead of listening to his teachers, he would draw or illustrate the last football match he had seen. When he felt romantic at heart, he would draw erotic motifs. His aunt Bertha Rioboo, painter and gallery worker, would take him to art exhibitions and it was together with her, by observing how she painted during the weekends, that he discovered that he could also become a painter. Nevertheless, he started studying Architecture, which he dropped out during the second year to enjoy, for the first time, the “freedom of painting all the time…”
Self-taught until the age of 24, he later studied sculpture with the master Leonardo Rodríguez. In 1975, in an attempt to give color to his gypsums, he resumed his classes with Victor Chab, mentor who gave him the encouragement he needed to work as a full time painter.
He has received numerous awards, among which are: the First Price for Painting (1982) and the First Price for Drawing (1983) at the Municipal Hall in Buenos Aires; the Casa de las Américas Award, at the Havana Biennial (Cuba, 1984), the Grand Prize of Honor at the National Drawing Hall (1994) and the Grand Prize of Honor at the National Painting Hall (2002).
He has been an exclusive artist at Zurbarán Gallery, one of Argentina’s most well known galleries, which is in charge of the organization of his exhibitions and the edition of the publications that describe his work.
In his pictorial work, he elaborates images whose mimesis with the real exceeds the analogy. His hyper realistic technique is the most appropriate way to transmit messages of great rhetoric elaboration, in which the simplest elements are combined with irony and clarity. His series on cashmere images, in which he reflects on clothing and its correlation with the social imaginary, also stands out.
Exhibitions
2013-2015
Solo exhibition. Zurbarán Gallery. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2012
Solo exhibition. Besharat Gallery. Atlanta (USA).
2010-2011
Solo exhibition. Zurbarán Gallery. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2009
“Retrospectiva”. Fine Arts Municipal Museum. Tandil. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Solo exhibition. Recoleta’s Cultural Center. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2008
“Retrospectiva”. Teatro Argentino. La Plata. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2007
“100 Años de Pintura Argentina”. La Plata and Mendoza (Argentina).
“Artistas por Argentina”. Sívori Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2006
“30 Años”. Zurbarán Gallery. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2005
“Caballos en Libertad”. Recoleta’s Cultural Center. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
“Las Obras del 10”. MALBA. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2004
“Osos de Berlín en Buenos Aires”. Recoleta’s Cultural Center. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Latin American Painting Contest. Borges Cultural Center. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
“Homenaje a Dalí”. Zurbarán Gallery. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
“Palais de Papel”. Palais de Glace. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2003
“Chandon por el Arte”. Recoleta’s Cultural Center. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Casa FOA ’03. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
Altera Gallery. Pinamar. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2002
“Artistas por Argentina”. A.P.A. Sívori Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2001
Solo exhibition. Altera Gallery. Pinamar. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1998
Solo exhibition. Zurbarán Alvear’s Collection. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
“Exposición Tango”. Atlanta. California y Texas (USA).
Solo exhibition. Mateo Sariel Gallery. Panama.
1997
“Retrospectiva”. Rosa Galisteo de Rodríguez Museum. Santa Fe. (Argentina)
1994
Group exhibition “Argentine Now”. California, Texas and Massachusetts (USA).
1992
Solo exhibition. Hammer Gallery. New York (USA).
1991
La Tertulia Modern Art Museum. Cali (Colombia).
Modern Art Museum. Bucaramanga (Colombia).
“Homenaje al Cuerpo Humano”. Miraflores’ Cultural Center. Lima (Peru).
1990
“Arte sobre papel”. Modern Art Museum. DF (Mexico).
Park Gallery. Florida (USA)
1989
“Tres Pintores”. Park Gallery. Florida (USA)
Bronx Museum of Arts. New York (USA).
1988
Fortabat Foundation. Buenos Aires.
1987
Chandon Biennial. Modern Art Museum. Buenos Aires.
Solo exhibition. Casa de las Américas. La Habana (Cuba).
Modern Art Museum. Montevideo (Uruguay).
“Arte Argentino Contemporáneo”. Alvar Aalto Museum. (Finland).
“Arte Argentino 1810-1987”. Rome (Italy).
1986
“Homenaje a García Lorca”. Modern Art Museum. Buenos Aires.
M.O.C.H.A. New York (USA).
Arte sobre Papel Biennial. CAYC. Buenos Aires.
1985
Solo exhibition. Atica Gallery. Buenos Aires.
“Arte de los 80”. 264 Gallery. Buenos Aires.
Grands et jeunes d’aujourd’hui. Paris (France).
1984
México Biennial. DF (Mexico).
The Habana Biennial. La Habana (Cuba).
1983
Grands et Jeunes d’aujourd’hui. París (France).
Arche Biennial. Fondo Nacional de las Artes. Buenos Aires.
1982
Solo exhibition. Arteaplicada Gallery. San Pablo (Brazil).
Paris Biennial. Paris (France).
Arche Biennial. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires.
1981
“25 años”. Modern Art Museum. Buenos Aires.
1980
Solo exhibition. 9 Gallery. Lima (Peru).
Durban Gallery. Caracas (Venezuela).
“El dibujo argentino contemporáneo”. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires.
1979
“Eros”. Arteaplicada Gallery. San Pablo (Brazil).
Solo exhibition. 9 Gallery. Lima (Peru).
1978
Solo exhibition. Praxis Gallery. Buenos Aires.
Images et MEsages d’Amerique Latine. Paris (France).
1977
Solo exhibition. Birger Gallery. Buenos Aires.
Salón Marcelo De Ridder. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires.
Awards
2002
Grand Prize of Honor at the National Painting Hall. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
2001
Banco Ciudad Prize. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Award for Painting-Universidad del Salvador. Palais de Glace. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1999
First Prize at the I National Biennial of Sports in Arts. Palais de Glace. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Third Prize at the National Hall of Painting. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Constantini Award. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Fortabat Award. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Banco Provincia Award. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1998
Novartis Award. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1996
Penagós Award. Madrid. (Spain).
1994
Grand Prize of Honor at the National Drawing Hall. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1993
First Prize at the Chandon Biennial. Fine Arts National Museum. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
1992
First Prize at the National Hall of Painting. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1989
Gunther Award. CAYC. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
1988
Calderon de la Barca Award. Palais de Glace. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
1984
Casa de las Americas Award. Habana Biennial(Cuba).
1983
First Prize for Drawing. Recoleta Cultural Center. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
First Prize for Painting at the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH). Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1982
First Prize for Painting. Fine Arts Municipal Hall. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
1981
Banco del Acuerdo Award. Sívori Museum. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1979
First Prize for Drawing. Universidad de Belgrano. Buenos Aires. (Argentina)
First Prize for Drawing. Argentinean Association of Plastic Artists (SAAP). Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1980
First Prize for Drawing. San Fernando. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
1977
First Prize for Drawing at the Argentinean Hebraic Community Hall. Buenos Aires (Argentina).
Publications
1997
“Bertani”. Gutiérrez Zaldivar, Ignacio. Zurbaran Ediciones. Buenos Aires (Argentina).