1991 - 2022

Text introducing the 30 years section.

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1991 - 2000​

León Tovar made his incursion into the art world as an art gallerist in the early 90s.

He founded his own gallery Tovar & Tovar in Bogotá, Colombia, back in 1991 with a presentation of works by Sol LeWitt and Bernar Venet. He continued creating exhibitions on renowned artists like Josef Albers, Carlos Rojas, Luis Camnitzer, Dennis Oppenheim, and Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar. 

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First gallery Tovar & Tovar in Bogotá, Colombia

2001 - 2010

Leon Tovar Gallery in New York

In 2002, León Tovar decided to move his business to New York City, opening an exhibition space on the Upper East Side, on East 71st St., named Leon Tovar Gallery.

His gallery was one of the first spaces to exhibit the geometric, kinetic, mathematical, and minimal art concepts (known today as geometrical abstraction) practiced by Latin American artists at the time. 

His relationship with many artists, like Carlos Cruz-Diez, Jesús Rafael Soto, Marisol, Carlos Rojas, Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, and Latin American art exhibits in renowned museums in New York City helped Leon Tovar create a global interest in Latin American art and modernism. 

2011 - 2020

In 2015, Leon Tovar opened a second gallery space on West 25TH St. with Cristina Grajales, which presented collective and individual exhibitions of several Latin American artists like Edgar Negret, Fanny Sanin, Carmelo Arden Quin, Omar Rayo, Francisco Salazar, Jesús Rafael Soto, and Agustín Fernández, among others. Later, in the spring of 2019 this location was moved to the Upper East Side. 

In addition to curating exhibitions regularly, Leon Tovar Gallery has also been actively participating in panels, tours, and art discussions. Leon Tovar has been a member of the ADAA since 2019 and has been present in major international art fairs around the world. 

In 2019, León Tovar Gallery moved its second location to East 75th St., where he carefully curated collective and solo shows on important artists such as Carmelo Arden Quin, Sergio Camargo, Omar Rayo, Jesús Rafael Soto, Feliza Bursztyn, Marcelo Bonevardi, and Francisco Salazar. 

Leon Tovar Gallery in New York

2021 - 2030

A few years later and amidst the pandemic in 2021, Leon Tovar Gallery decided to downsize and close both gallery spaces (on 71st St. and 75th St.) and move all operations to one space. This space is currently located on East 64thSt. 

After a few months of its opening, the new gallery space has exhibited individual and collective shows on Latin American artists like Agustín Fernández, Sergio de Camargo, Lygia Clark, Hermelindo Fiaminghi, Almir Mavignier, Hélio Oiticica, Lygia Pape, and Alfredo Volpi. 

Leon Tovar continues to work with Latin American artists, constantly curating shows and participating in important art fairs across America and Europe. He advises and works with collectors, museums, curators, and publishers. 

Leon at TEFAF Maastricht 2022

Artists and estates managed by Leon Tovar Gallery

Artists that have been part of the gallery since 1991

Carmelo Arden Quin · Martin Blaszko · Marcelo Bonevardi · Fernando Botero · Feliza Bursztyn · Santiago Cardenas · Sergio de Camargo · Lygia Clark · Carlos Cruz Diez · Willys de Castro · Tarsila do Amaral · Marisol Escobar · Manuel Espinosa · Agustin Fernandez · Hermelindo Fiaminghi · Gego · Gonzalo Fonseca · Maria Freire · Mathias Goeritz · Enrique Grau · Carmen Herrera · Ana Mercedes Hoyos · Frida Kahlo · Gyula Kosice · Wifredo Lam · Julio Le Parc · Sol Lewitt · Roberto Matta · Almir Mavignier · Juan Mele · Edgar Negret · Mauricio Nogueira Lima · Alejandro Obregon · Helio Oiticica · Jose Clemente Orozco · Alejandro Otero · Lyga Pape · Cesar Paternosto · Alejandro Puente · Eduardo Ramirez Villamizar · Omar Rayo · Diego Rivera · Carlos Rojas · Luiz Sacilotto · Zilia Sanchez · Fanny Sanin · Francisco Salazar · Mira Schendel · David Alfaro Siqueiros · Jesus Rafael Soto · Rufino Tamayo · Luis Tomasello · Joaquin Torres Garcia · Victor Vasarely · Bernar Venet · Alfredo Volpi · Franz Weissmann