Artists Biography

Roy Lawaetz is an artist of international renown from a tiny island St. Croix in the Caribbean where he was born Dec 9, 1942.  His studied art at the Provincetown Workshop, New York University’s Studio XII, the Art Students’ League and the Victor Candell Studio in New York City. He also studied at the Royal Danish Academy for the Fine Arts with Professor Richard Mortensen, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He has developed a distinctive art style comprised of triangles in combination, known as “The Modular Triangular System” and he has exhibited his work throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the United States. His numerous exhibitions include the Orlando Museum of Art (with Bearden, Lam, others), Chateau Grimaldi, France and the 23rd International Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil which featured artists such as Picasso, Goya, Klee, Warhol.

He is included in UNESCO’s 1993 Carib Art publication where he was selected as “The English Speaking Caribbean Artist” in the Travelling Exhibition’s international publicity, Thames & Hudson’s World of Art series, London, Caribbean Art Today, Kassel, Germany and many other exhibition publications, books, articles  and websites.

In 1997 Lawaetz was awarded the V.I. Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts internationally and nationally. In 1998 he was invited to be the V.I. Guest Master at the “150th. year Anniversary of Emancipation of Slavery” exhibition in Paris, France at the Salon de Grands et  Jeunes d’Aujourd’hui.”

In 2000 he published his definitive theoretical work “The Modular Triangular System.” book  with inclusive interview by art critic Marianne de Tolentino. At the 6th Edition of the 2007 Florence Biennale he was awarded a Lorenzo IL Magnifico Premio for his exhibition “Biennale Beyond the Walls.”

In 2008 he wrote his MODI MANIFESTO: “Nature does not conform to one shape, neither should art” defining his theoretcial platform based on his Modular Triangular System.

The   August 2008 Caribbean Writer, an international literary anthology with a Caribbean focus, featured his art theory in a 30 page Special Section. The same year  he became a prominently  registered artist  at the National September 11, Memorial  & Museum (WTC), New York City, USA.
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In May, June 2009  Lawaetz works acquired in 1997 by Partner Revision were included in a major exhibition  Pakhuset in Ikast, Denmark  along with International & Danish masters like Cobra master Corneille, Robert Jacobsen, Per Kirkeby etc. (60 artists 300 works).

In Nov 3-9, 2009 Roy Lawaetz exhibited with the  International artists group OpenArtCode in Paris at the prestigious Salon des Independents, Grand Palais  started by artists  Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Camille Pissarro, Henri de Toulouse Lautrec Odilon Redon and others in 1884.
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In 2010 he received another return invitation to exhibit at the Grand Palais, Paris.

In Rotterdam, Holland he exhibited with the ViaFirenzeSweden group at Galerie Kunst aan der KADE.
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In  May,  2011 he  exhibited with the World Art Vision  (WAV) group in Barcelona, Spain in the Palacio Pignatelli which also houses the  Salvador Dali sculpture Museum.
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In May, 2011 he exhibited at the Aarhus Festival, Denmark displaying his new style Caribbean art to thousands of Danes.
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In  October 2011 he  exhibited with the OpenArtCode international group at the Prince Rainier 111 Auditorium in Monaco.
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In November, 2011 he exhibited  at the Salon des Independants, Grand Palais, Paris with the international artists group OpenArtCode.
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He is a founding member of SOCA, Society of Caribbean Artists, based in St. Croix, V.I. and is affiliated with several International groups and organizations in the US and Europe such as the International Artists for Peace and World Harmony, (IAPWH) NYC, ISA, International Society of Artists, Gothenburg, Sweden, ViaFirenzeSweden and the OpenArtCode group, World Art Vision groups, Florence Italy.

Recently he became part of the Krieger Creative  Group developed by Norma Krieger, a native Crucian,   with a New York’s  Madison Avenue art marketing background.
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Just days before the KriegerCreativeGroup launch Roy Lawaetz  received the distinctive honor extended by Dominique Chapelle, Presidente, Grand Palais, Paris to be included as an artist member in France of  the prestigious Societe des Artistes Independants.  Founders of that Salon are Dubois-Pillet, Odilon Redon, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac. And precursors number artists greats such as  Paul Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec and St. Thomas’ Father of Impressionism, Camille Pissarro among many others.
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