Toti Cuesta’s International Awards and Exhibitions
Awards, exhibitions, publications, and professional reviews that have contributed to the international recognition of my watercolor work.
International Award
Monument to Alfonso XII received the Global Art Virtuoso Award from Contemporary Art Collectors, an international recognition that highlighted the technical quality of the work and its ability to combine portraiture, symbolism, and historical heritage within a single composition.
Critics particularly praised the work’s originality and the way classical and contemporary elements coexist in an image that invites reflection on the relationship between memory, identity, and culture.
Madrid Reinterpreted
In this watercolor, the sculpture merges with a human face that stares intently at us, just as the Monument to Alfonso XII gazes upon the Retiro pond. History, urban landscape, and portraiture engage in a dialogue to create a personal interpretation of Madrid.
International critics highlighted this ability to reinterpret historical heritage from a contemporary perspective, creating an image that connects the past and the present through symbolism and imagination.
About Me
I am Toti Cuesta, a watercolorist and portrait artist from Madrid. Through watercolor, I create work that combines portraiture, nature, symbolism, and urban landscape, always from a personal perspective.
Over the years, my watercolors have been selected for international exhibitions, published in specialized magazines, and recognized by galleries, juries, and art critics in various countries.
This page brings together some of the works that have contributed to the international recognition of my work and that form part of my artistic career.
International Recognition
Inspiring Muses was one of the works recognized by HMVC Gallery in New York as part of the international exhibition Harmony and Diversity. The work received Third Prize and was selected by the jury for the originality of its visual concept and for integrating portraiture and nature within a single composition.
This recognition also led to a solo exhibition at the gallery, allowing me to present my work to an international audience and expand the reach of my art beyond Spain.
View Toti Cuesta’s profile at HMVC Gallery NY.
Nature and the Female Figure
In this watercolor, three female faces are united by a landscape that blends with their features. The trees, water, and vegetation are part of the image itself, creating a continuity between the human figure and nature.
The director of the Circle Foundation for the Arts, Myrina Tunberg Georgiou, highlighted the work’s dreamlike quality and its exploration of identity, drawing a connection to the Surrealist tradition. She also noted that the delicacy of the brushwork and the intimate portrayal of feminine beauty endow the work with a distinct and recognizable personality.
Artistic Excellence Award
Classic Building, Gran Vía, Madrid, received the Artistic Excellence Award in the Spotlight Magazine Cover Contest, organized by the Circle Foundation for the Arts. This recognition highlighted the technical quality of the work and its ability to transform an architectural element of Madrid into an image with its own identity.
According to the professional assessment by Contemporary Art Station, the work evokes admiration and introspection. The image invites reflection on the preservation of cultural heritage and on the presence of the female figure within the symbolic construction of the city.
The work is part of a series dedicated to Madrid, where architecture, portraiture, and symbolism combine to offer a personal interpretation of the urban landscape.
International Publication
Achieve Success was selected to appear on the back cover of ArtTour International magazine, a publication specializing in contemporary art with an international readership.
This feature helped raise the work’s profile among collectors, galleries, and professionals in the art sector from various countries.
The publication recognized the visual quality of the watercolor and its ability to convey a message through the combination of portraiture, color, and symbolism.
The work is part of a body of work focused on depicting the female figure from a personal perspective.
Resilience and Empowerment
The director of the Circle Foundation for the Arts, Myrina Tunberg Georgiou, highlighted the work’s ability to unite the personal and the universal through an image imbued with symbolic power.
In her professional assessment, she noted that the watercolor conveys an idea of resilience and empowerment that resonates with shared human experiences.
In her words:
“This piece channels the defiant spirit found in works by artists like Frida Kahlo, blending the personal and the universal to evoke resilience and empowerment.”
— Myrina Tunberg Georgiou, Director of the Circle Foundation for the Arts
International Finalist
Raise Your Voice was selected as a finalist for the 2025 TARGET Prize, an international competition that recognizes contemporary artistic works with a distinct visual identity and a strong narrative.
The work is part of the series Inspiring Women, which symbolically represents the female figure. Through portraiture, color, and visual language, the image reflects on freedom of expression, identity, and the importance of finding one’s own voice.
International critics have also highlighted the approach of this series. In its curatorial review, the Whitney Gallery in New York noted that “Inspiring Women is visually striking, as it metaphorically reflects the multiple cultural themes of femininity and the status of women, symbolizing the drama of women in the world”.
Awards and Exhibitions
My original watercolors have been featured in national and international exhibitions, publications, and art projects.
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to exhibit my work in galleries, museums, and spaces dedicated to contemporary art, as well as to contribute to specialized publications.
Each exhibition represents an opportunity to share my work with new audiences and allow the pieces to forge connections beyond the studio where they were created.
You can view a selection of exhibitions, publications, and awards related to my work in the “Awards” section.
Beyond the Recognition
Every exhibition, publication, or award is part of a broader journey: creating images that connect with people and linger in their memory.
Watercolor remains the medium through which I explore the relationship between portraiture, nature, symbolism, and the city—a visual language that continues to evolve with each new work.