Hivo Van Teal Lucite Tic Tac Toe Set, ca. 1970

After fleeing Havana as a young man, Hivo Van Teal was able to unleash his artistic sensibilities and launch an award-winning lighting and accessories company. Creating sculpture shapes in acrylic soon became a passion. “In 1974, I opened a 600-square-foot studio close to my house in Miami Beach," Hivo recalls. "Together with Estela, I made my first sculptures named 'Family,' 'Atlanta,' and 'Prism.' A friend of mine who was a furniture representative saw them and exhibited them at a show in Miami Beach. Euster Furniture was one of the most exclusive high-end showrooms in Miami, and Mr. Euster was very impressed with my sculptures and gave us a $10,000 order. And that was the beginning of Van Teal, Inc.” 

Soon, art galleries in Florida and retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue in Bal Harbour, and I. Magnin in Washington, D.C., began selling Van Teal sculptures. In 1976, Van Teal, Inc. opened its first showroom at the High Point Market in North Carolina. Van Teal has been singled-out for excellence by winning First Prize for Contemporary Sculptures from ACCA (1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 and 1992) and received two ARTS Awards (1995 and 1996).