CUBAN ART 2015 PURPOSE Years ago I traveled to Cuba for the first - PDF document

CUBAN ART 2015

PURPOSE Years ago I traveled to Cuba for the first time, fueled by intense curiosity and a deep passion for travel. Like many Americans, I had grown up with the myth of Cuba, our isolated neighbor to the South with whom strong geopolitical tensions exist to this day. Hence, the opportunity to visit this country has been a deeply enriching experience. From the moment I disembarked on Cuban soil I quickly identified a very real, thriving culture. Everything is decidedly Cuban - the food, sights, sounds and art. There is honestly no place like it. The soft humming of the vintage 1949 Cadillac Devilles, the explosion of music and lively rhythm parading through the dimly lit streets, the colorful facades, and the joyful and kind demeanor of the Cuban people - they all weave together to create a truly striking, captivating place. The nation’s isolation from many of its neighbors has fueled Cubans’ need for developing a strong self-identity. The artifacts of the island have been created by hands of local artists who have worked to preserve their national and personal history. Sadly, most of these artists have never been able to leave their country - let alone exhibit their work overseas. Some of them have had the opportunity to show it in other countries, but it has always been through the help of a foreigner. As I have continued to travel to Cuba over the past several years, immersing myself into its vibrant community, I have collected a variety of local artpieces. My love for these artists’ work, combined with my desire to help share their vision and beauty with a larger audience, has motivated me to put this collection together. This is a visual snapshot of Cuba’s people, emotions, and soul. They tell the story of Cuba, cultivated over the last 60 years in a variety of stunning iterations.

ARTISTS’ BIOS EDUARDO EXPOSITO GONZALEZ Exposito was born in a family of artists of Havana, Cuba. Grandson to a painter - Exposito began his career as a photographer and gallery owner of Havana. His business association with art and involvement in the Cuban Center for Cultural Assets eventually led him to pursue painting. Exposito’s paintings are emotive and aggressively individualistic. While influenced by Expressionism, he has never been traditionally trained rather following his artistic intuition. JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA Vazquez Lima is the youngest artist in this collection - 27 years old. His drawings stand out for his clever depictions of mainly male characters and animals, mechanically jointed with spindly arms and legs. Vazquez Lima attributes his inspiration to the comical / whimsical relationships between neighbors in Central Havana.Vazquez most recently hosted an international show at Galeria Cubana, in Boston Massachusetts. HECTOR FRANK Frank was born in Havana in 1961 and trained as an electrical engineer. After years of working for the Cuban government he quit his job to pursue art. Through his work, he wishes to express his inner creativity and depict the influences, colors, textures, sounds, and landscapes of Cuban life. Hector Frank has exhibited throughout Cuba and internationally in France, Mexico, the United States, Belgium, and Malaysia. Merida was born in Havana, Cuba in 1963 and attended the fine art academy “San Alejandro” in Havana. He has exhibited in Cuba since 1985 as well as internationally in Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and France. Merida’s work is influenced by his environs and the times—a representation of his emotional and passionate focus on his surroundings.

HECTOR FRANK ACRYLIC ON CARDBOARD 9” x 12”

HECTOR FRANK ACRYLIC ON CARDBOARD 9” x 12”

HECTOR FRANK ACRYLIC ON CARDBOARD 9” x 12”

HECTOR FRANK ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON PAPER 30 ¼” x 22 ¼”

HECTOR FRANK ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON PAPER 30 ¼” x 22 ¼”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 31” x 24”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 54” x 46”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 54” x 46”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ SAND, CONCRETE AND ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 46” x 54”

JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA ACRYLIC & PEN ON WATERCOLOR PAPER 30” x 8”

JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA ACRYLIC & PEN ON WATERCOLOR PAPER 42” x 9”

JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA ACRYLIC & PEN ON WATERCOLOR PAPER 30” x 13”

JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA ACRYLIC , PEN & COLLAGE ON CANVAS 84” x 60” ***STUNNING SIGNATURE PIECE

JUAN CARLOS VAZQUEZ LIMA ACRYLIC & PEN ON WATERCOLOR PAPER 30” x 13”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 32” x 27”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 16” x 10”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 24” x 18”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 25” x 23 ½”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 25 x 23 ½”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 25 ½” x 23 ½”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 21 ½” x 23 ½”

IGNACIO MERIDA OIL ON CANVAS 18” x 38”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON PAPER 27 ½” x 19 ½”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON PAPER 27 ½” x 19 ½”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON PAPER 27 ½” x 19 ½”

EDUARDO ‘EXPOSITO’ GONZALEZ ACRYLIC ON PAPER 27 ½” x 19 ½”

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