Biography

Luis G. Cajiga was born on 1934, in the town of Quebradillas, in the north west of Puerto Rico. He started his artistic education in the graphic shop of the Division of Community Education in San Juan in the year 1952. By that time, in this place were working some of the most outstanding artists of Puerto Rico, which influenced in the artistic formation of Cajiga. Because Cajiga was so interested in the streets of Old San Juan, Antonio Maldonado recommended him to study a course on perspective with Fran Cervoni. With this outstanding teacher, Cajiga studied one year. So, the most preferred theme of the artist was enriched. Serigraphy was the technique which Cajiga dedicated more time. His beginning task was to prepare and print mostly the works of Homar and Tufiño, artists whom Cajiga received more support and education. Working with the posters of these renowned masters of the graphics, our painter learned all referent to the serigraph, technique which he had been working for the past fifty years. He also learned drawing, water color, oil and engraving. He worked in some of the publications of the Division, including posters, drawings on books, and titles for movies. The first poster of Cajiga was the one that he did for the Fire Department, which receive the second price in the contest that was convoked by Raúl Gándara, the legendary director of that department. He also realized some serigraphs, been the firs the "Escalerilla de las Monjas", in 1957. The first oil he painted is in the Santa Catalina palace (governor’s house) and the second is in Ponce Museum of Art. This piece, "Calle Mercado", was bought by the distinguished Luis A. Ferré, former governor of Puerto Rico. The expositions of Cajiga are many: The Puerto Rican Athenaeum, The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture, The University of Puerto Rico Museum, The Catholic University of Ponce, The Inter-American University, The Ponce Museum of Art, educational and cultural centers of the country and some commercial galleries. Today Cajiga counts with his own gallery in Old San Juan. Besides painting the streets of Old San Juan, Cajiga is renowned by his serigraphs and acrylics of scenes of Puerto Rican towns, suburbs, slums, and, over all, landscapes with flamboyant. He also painted portraits and religious themes like the Book of Revelations. Since he was in the fourth grade in the Betances School of his home town, Luis start to write poems. Today he has published five books of poetry. He also wrote twelve books on religious themes. Recently he published a book on vegetarian recipes, which was very well accepted. In This discipline, Cajiga have been for 40 years. Cajiga is also a preacher of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. He had been in crusades in all Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico and in Hispanic communities in the United States. Beside the second price in the Fire Department in 1957, Cajiga won the firs price in the Puerto Rican Athenaeum Christmas contest in 1965, the first price of the IBEC Company Contest in 1966, and the second price in the contest of San Juan City Hall in 1969. In 1972, the Sterling House gave him the price for the design of the Christmas plate. He has received many acknowledges, among them The Golden Agüeybana of the Superior Council of the Art and the free Enterprise award. In The United States Cajiga has been named distinguished visitor of the cities of Boston, Chicago, Elizabeth and Perth Amboy of New Jersey and Loma Linda in California. An important award was given to him by the Institute of Puerto Rico in New York. The works of Cajiga had been all around the world. He has participated in many expositions in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, France, Japan, Russia and many cities in the US. Thanks to Mr. Antonio Molina, director of the UNESCO of Puerto Rico, works of Cajiga are in permanent exhibitions in many cities of Latin America and Europe. Now we present Cajiga in the internet. Welcome to this page, which we hope will be a rich cultural experience.

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