Havana, Cuba - The National Council for the Plastic Arts awarded the 2014 National Prize of Plastic Arts to the artist Lázaro Saavedra.

This is the highest honor granted in Cuba to creators of visual arts for the life working.

Saavedra (Havana 1964) studied from 1976 to 1979 in "October 20" Elementary School of Plastic Arts, and from 1979 to 1983 at San Alejandro Provincial School of Visual Arts.

Finally between 1983-1988 he completed his training at the Higher Institute of Arts (ISA by its Spanish acronym), he is a member of the National Association Union of Cuban Writers and Artists, has various solo and group exhibitions and has participated in several national and international events such as the Venice Biennale.

Saavedra has won the first prize at Marti Seminar with the work ¨Homenaje¨ (Tribute), the ISA Award in 1986; Grand Prize of the First Festival of Creation and Research in 1987 and the distinction for the National Culture in 1999.

His works are in collections of the Fine Arts National Museum, in Cuba; and the Ludwig Forum and Daros Galleries, in Germany and Switzerland respectively.

The award was presented for the first time in 1994 and is granted annually to a Cuban visual artist, living and residing in the country, whose production is distinguished by providing a valuable contribution to the development and history of the visual arts in the Island.

His accomplishments and national and international reputation is also considered.

For this occasion, 25 proposals of cultural institutions from across the country were considered and it was appointed a jury of prestigious personalities of Visual Arts that was chaired by Eduardo Ponjuán, last year's National Award.

The nominees this year were artists: José Antonio Choy, Lesbia Vent Dumois, Salvador Corratgé, Zaida del Rio, Roberto Salas, Juan Moreira, Pedro de Oráa, José Manuel Fors, Alberto Lescay Merencio, Alexis Leyva Machado (Kcho), Eduardo Roca (Choco), Manuel Hernández Valdés, Rafael Zarza and Rocio Garcia.