David Banegas

Bolivian born visual artist David Banegas began his artistic journey at a young age. At a mere 11 years old he had his first art gallery showing in Campo Grande, Brazil. Self-portraits and images in their actual likeness were his main focus. At age 12, he painted a portrait of Bolivian President Hugo Banzer. Upon receipt of the portrait, Banzer awarded David the opportunity to study privately with Masaiko Fujjita, old master art teacher from Japan. During his two year apprenticeship, David mastered paintings of landscapes, florals, and buildings using unique brush techniques. At the age of fifteen David moved to Carthage, Illinois as an exchange student. There he was able to learn English from his host family and attend art classes at Macomb University of Illinois. From there, David moved to Miami where he continued his studies at the Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute. Miami served as a fertile training ground where David grew exponentially.