di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art maintains a permanent collection of works by Northern California artists that was originally collected by Rene di Rosa (1919-2010) and Veronica di Rosa (1934–1991). The collection contains notable works by artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area from mid-twentieth century to the early twenty-first century, highlighting a story of experimentation of the artists of the region. It is displayed in part, on a rotating basis, in the galleries at di Rosa.
This page represents a just a portion of di Rosa’s rich permanent collection. Stay tuned as we continue to populate this page with artworks from our collection.
di Rosa strives to be a resource for educators, students and lifelong learners. For research inquiries, please contact curatorial@dirosaart.org.
Self-Portrait with Fire Crown and Cigar
Sculpture
Circular plaster medallion painted with mustachioed man's profile with cigar and crown of flames
865
Painted plaster
Sculpture
AR0865
Candy Store Gallery
Purchase
Luis Cruz Azaceta
1981
Self-portraits
Object
16-1/2 in
16-1/2 in
1/2 in
Curator
2023
Cuban-American painter Luis Cruz Azaceta (b. 1942, Havana) creates vivid, visually dense compositions rooted in his experience of the Cuban diaspora. “The experience of being in exile,” he explains, “is of being in two places simultaneously—physically in your place of exile, emotionally and spiritually in the place you left behind, your roots.” In this arresting self-portrait, painted in the artist’s signature style of “apocalyptic pop,” the burnt cigar, firey halo, and steely gaze hint at a complicated sense of identity. Trained at the School of Visual Arts, New York, Azaceta is represented by George Adams Gallery. He has received numerous awards and grants including the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Grant, and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. His work can be seen in public collections including The Museum of Modern Art, in New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.