Paintings

Project
Palmas Reales

Main role
Oil / Canvas

Date
17/8/2002

La Palma Real is the national tree of Cuba, my home country. Many artists and writers have succumbed to its charm and majesty. Two of the pillars of Cuban literature, José María Heredia and José Martí, used it as a symbol of Woman, Homeland, Singularity, and Elegance.

Roystonea regia, commonly known as the Cuban royal palm or Florida royal palm, is a species of palm tree native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, and parts of Central America.

I use the image of the royal palm to illustrate the lives of displaced and oppressed Cubans, forced to emigrate or survive in the most austere conditions. These individuals often find themselves in sensitive situations, such as prostitution, repression, coercion, or exile, in a desolate environment. Whether I depict them as withered in a vase in the style of Van Gogh, on a corner in Havana, or as far away as the North Pole or even the Moon.

Choosing the landscape is a classic choice due to the iconic nature of the "Cuban Landscape." While documentary photography may seem more precise or appropriate for exposing this reality, I opt for oil on canvas, creating appealing images because of the detachment that poverty, repression, and disillusionment images can cause in the viewer in the era of social media.

This way, I can address very delicate issues without raising alarms, ultimately leading the observer to the same reflection as they imagine or discover the scene.

"Como novias que esperan" is a series of paintings that reflect the impoverished life in Cuba and prostitution as an alternative to escape the country or at least address some of the economic needs. The title comes from a speech by José Martí given to the audience in Tampa in 1891: "Las palmeras son novias que esperan," which translates to "The palm trees are brides waiting."

Basic Rhetoric Show

Technique

Various

Date

23/3/2010

Basic Rhetoric is a personal exposition full of allusions and sarcasm

Summarize a series of citations of art history from the Michelangelo's Adam's Creation, Marat Death, Magritte's Pipe, Manzoni's Artist Shit, Andy Warhol's Dick Tracy and even the recent speech of Barbara Kruger or Jenny Holzer to dismantle the retrograde doctrine of Castro's Cuba and show his origin, passions and the aversion to the dictatorship.