Onai Quiñonez

Onai Quiñonez
Born1993 (1993)
Tovar, Mérida, Venezuela
Died (aged 32)
Alma materUniversity of the Andes

Onai Quiñonez Tolosa (1993–June 2026) was a Venezuelan painter and cellist.

Early and personal life

Quiñonez was born in Tovar, Mérida in 1993.[1][2] He studied cello at the Cátedra Latinoamericana de Violonchelo and he attended the University of the Andes, graduating in 2019 with a degree in Visual Arts.[1]

As of 2024, he lived in Santa Cruz de Mora.[3]

On 24 June 2026, Quiñonez was reported missing following the Venezuelan earthquakes. His family reported he was in the rubble of a residential building in Caraballeda, La Guaira.[4] El Nacional and Hyperallergic reported on his death on 1 July.[5][6] He was 32 years old.[5] His wife, fellow artist Laura Silva, survived the earthquakes and led the attempted rescue of Quiñonez.[6][7]

Career

Music

Between 2005 and 2012, Quiñonez was a member of the Sistema Nacional de Orquestas de Venezuela.[1]

Art

Quiñonez's painting style has been described as expressionist and dynamic.[4]

In a series spanning over a decade, Quiñonez painted meat to explore empathy, relationship and encounter, and human pain or suffering.[3][8] This approach is inspired by the writings of French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty.[3]

Awards

  • First prize in painting, 2022 ULA International Biennial of Contemporary Art[1]
  • Special mention, 2022 Luis Ángel Duque Contemporary Art Prize, for "1 (Potrero) x 1 (Vaca)"[9]

Exhibitions

Group exhibitions

  • 1st National Salon of Visual Arts (Museo de Los Llanos, 2016)[1]
  • Latente, Galería ABRA and Carmen Araujo Arte (Hacienda La Trinidad, 2018)[1]
  • Descenso 130 (Galería Argos, 2023)[1]
  • Los del Espacio (Espacio Proyecto Libertad, 2024)[1]
  • Meninas eternas (Espacio Sánchez 2024)[1]
  • "Reses refrigeradas" and "Carne refrigerada" in Emergentes (Reset Gallery, 2025)[10][11]
  • 24th FIA Young Artists Salon[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Onai Quiñonez ganó el 24º Salón Jóvenes con FIA". E S T I L O / Online (in Spanish). 2024-09-28. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  2. ↑ Gonzalez, Juan Antonio (2024-06-10). "Onai Quiñonez: "En las narrativas agotadas de la pintura yo consigo un discurso"". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  3. 1 2 3 Gonzalez Mendonza, Isaac (2024-10-08). "Onai Quiñonez: "Fabular el arte es peligroso"". El Nacional.
  4. 1 2 "Family Urges Help for Venezuelan Artist Trapped Under Earthquake Rubble". Hyperallergic. 2026-06-26. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  5. 1 2 "Murió el artista plástico Onai Quiñonez". El Nacional. 2026-07-01.
  6. 1 2 "Remembering Rune Mields, Onai Quiñonez, and Song Burnsoo". Hyperallergic. 2026-07-01. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  7. ↑ "After Earthquakes, Venezuela's Artists Turn to Each Other". Hyperallergic. 2026-07-01. Retrieved 2026-07-13.
  8. 1 2 "Onai Quiñones: el cuerpo como metáfora del dolor y la lucha en "Res y Todas Las Carnes"". Correo Cultural (in Spanish). 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  9. ↑ "Veredicto I Premio de Arte Contemporáneo Luis Ángel Duque". E S T I L O / Online (in Spanish). 2022-05-14. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  10. ↑ "EMERGENTES, nuevas formas colectivas de mirar el arte actual en Reset Gallery". E S T I L O / Online (in Spanish). 2025-09-05. Retrieved 2026-06-27.
  11. ↑ "Onai Quiñonez Tolosa archivos". Reset Gallery (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-06-27.
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