Nilda Maria Comas

Nilda Maria Comas was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She studied humanities and philosophy at the University of Puerto Rico, studied fine arts at Sam Houston State University, and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Houston.

Comas discovered Pietrasanta, an artist colony in Italy, and went there under the advice of Bzruno Lucchesi. At the Massimo Del Chiaro Foundry of Art, she learned the techniques of bronze casting and worked alongside artist such as Lucchesi, Harry Marinsky, Stanley Bleifeld, Ivan Theimer, and others. It was there that Comas met Joseph Sheppard, who became not only a mentor and teacher during the next 10 years, but also a most admired friend.

Sheppard and Lucchesi recommended that Comas attend the new York Academy of Figurative Art. She received the highest scholarship given by the Academy and graduated cum laude with a Master of Fine Arts.

Comas returned to Pietrasanta, where, at the Studio Franco Cervietti, she learned the techniques of marble carving while attending the Accademia de Bella Arti di Carrara. She also studied under master carver Enzo Pasquini.

In the catalog accompanying the exhibition Impressions from Living at the chiostro di Sant’Agostino in Pietrasanta, Comas wrote about her artistic interests and ideals. “My preferential interest, as an artist, is the creation of figurative sculpture and painting, resulting in a three-dimensional commentary on the human spirit,” wrote Comas (2003). “Fine art which is well conceived and properly executed leads us all to grow more compassionate, as the figure created communicates to the viewers a clearer understanding of what it is to be human.”

Comas believes that technical mastery is vital to creating fine art. She has studied the techniques of classical, Renaissance, Baroque, and modern sculpture in order to perfect her craft. “I aim at pursuing these established standards, which demand the knowledge of composition, perspective, form, draftsmanship, and anatomy as the vehicles that will enable me to bring my personal visions to life,” she wrote. “I feel that by absorbing this knowledge I can free my creativity and give my art character, sensitivity, and the universal quality of excellence that is only achieved by being fully able to express my inner thoughts while conquering the material.”

Today, Comas continues to divide her time between Pietrasanta and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she has resided for 28 years. She has received numerous grants and awards, including a bronze medal and two Agopoff Memorial Prizes from the National Sculpture Society of New York, the first prize for sculpture from Hambro Bank in London, and the Award of Excellence from the society for Women Artists in London

Among the major places where her works have been exhibited are the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens in Palm Beach, The National Sculpture Society, New York; the New York Academy; Accademia de Bella Arti di Carrara, Italy; Chiostro di Sant’Agostino, Pietrasanta, Italy; and Westminster Gallery, London. Her works also reside in many public and private collections in the United States, Europe, and South America.

Reference
Comas, Nilda Maria, 2003, Impressions from Living. Pietrasant, Italy: Chiostro di Sant’Agostino

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