Daniel Pérez Acosta

 

Place of birth: Libertad, San José, Uruguay
Based in: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Biographical Overview

Daniel Pérez Acosta is a visual artist whose career spans more than five decades. His work is deeply influenced by Afro-Latin American culture, shaping a visual language centered on the human figure, everyday life, and social memory. During the 1970s he lived between Maldonado and Punta del Este, developing an intense practice of portraiture in public spaces.

In the 1980s he was associated with the San José Museum, where he worked as an educator and participated in artistic and social projects aimed at breaking cultural barriers. In 1982 he held his first solo exhibition. In 1988, he co-founded the group Pasos and the alternative art space 318 bis, conceived as a gallery and center for artistic experimentation.

In 1990 he received the First Prize of the Chamber of Senators of the Republic at the 38th National Salon of Visual Arts for his work Del remate, becoming the first Afro-descendant artist to receive this distinction in Uruguay. Since 1993 he has lived and worked in Buenos Aires. In 2004 he founded Palermo Negro, an active space functioning as studio, gallery, and site for artistic exchange.

Awards and Distinctions

  • 1984 – Honorable Mention, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), National Art Salon, Punta del Este, Uruguay.

  • 1990 – First Prize, Chamber of Senators of the Republic, 38th National Salon of Visual Arts, Uruguay.

Solo Exhibitions (Institutional Selection)

  • 1982 – San José Museum, Uruguay.

  • 1984 – El Brocal Gallery, Carrasco; San José Museum, Uruguay.

  • 1987 – Galería del Ejido, Montevideo, Uruguay.

  • 1988 / 1990 – Teatro Macció, San José, Uruguay.

  • 1991 – Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC), Montevideo, Uruguay.

  • 1994 – Galería Calle Entera, Montevideo, Uruguay.

  • 1995 – College of Notaries of Morón, Argentina.

  • 1999 – Alliance Française, Morón, Argentina.

  • 2000 – León Sempere Museum, Argentina.

  • 2001–2002 – Sin Marco Buenos Aires (open studio project), Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • 2003 – Houses of the Provinces of Chaco and Tucumán, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • 2004 / 2007 – Palermo Negro Gallery, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • 2005 – Borges Cultural Center, Buenos Aires (installation commissioned by the World Bank, Development Fair).

  • 2008 – Punto Arte Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.

Group Exhibitions (Selection)

  • 1981–1984 – San José Museum; National and Interior Salons; Subte Municipal, Montevideo, Uruguay.

  • 1986 – Blanes Museum, Montevideo, Uruguay.

  • 1992 – II Biennial of Visual Arts, Uruguay.

  • 1999 – First Meeting of Latin American Monumental Art Artists, Río Hondo, Argentina.

  • 2004 – Latin American Integration Exhibition, Arturo Jauretche Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • 2008 – Three Creators, Palermo Negro Gallery, Buenos Aires; Symmetria, Punto Arte Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.

  • 2009–2026 – Permanent artist at Palermo Negro Space, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Special Projects

  • Murals and interventions in public space.

  • Installations, scenography, and illustrations for books, newspapers, and magazines.

Filmography

  • Daniel Pérez Acosta, Visual Artists Collection, Vol. 28. Director: Jorge Coscia.

  • Causas (participant). Directors: Juan Palomino and Claudio Posse.

Theatre

  • Leandro and Lisandro, by Pacho O’Donnell.
    Scenography: Daniel Pérez Acosta.
    Director: Gerardo La Regina.

Collections

Works are held in public and private collections in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, the United States, and several European countries, as well as at Palermo Negro Gallery, Buenos Aires.