The most striking feature of the artworks on display at the Latin American Art exhibition at Wafi City is the vibrant, happy colours used by the artists. The 60 paintings by 30 Latin American artists from the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru and Florida, the US, are varied in style, technique and choice of subject.
They provide interesting insights into the lives of ordinary people in these countries, the social issues that concern them and the dreams and aspirations of the artists themselves. There is something to please every art lover, from modern abstracts and cubist compositions to realistic depictions of horses and still life paintings of flora and fauna.
Francisco Nader, the curator of this exhibition, is a paediatrician but has a deep interest in art and runs an art gallery in his country, the Dominican Republic.
“I visited Dubai last year and fell in love with the city and its people. I was happy to see that the art market here is buoyant, with artists from various countries exhibiting here. I was keen to introduce Latin American art to the UAE because I believe our artists have something fresh and unique to offer to art lovers of this region. Latin American art is an explosion of colours and emotions that reflect the Caribbean landscape and lifestyle,” Nader says.
He has put together artworks by well-known as well as promising young Latin American artists. “I have tried to bring as many young artists as possible because I wanted to present a contemporary outlook and because exposure to this multicultural market will help them develop as artists.”
Among the best-known names are Dionisio Blanco and Bernardo Then from the Dominican Republic. Then is known for the bright colours and mix of textures in his abstract paintings. Two abstracts from his Memories of the Caribbean series are on display here.
Shades of life
Blanco is a respected art professor and worked at the Museum of History and Geography and the Museum of Dominican Mankind early in his career. He was also a designer on the remodelling project of the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.
His semi-realistic, philosophical paintings express the connection between the people and the mountains and fields that surround and sustain them. The paintings of coffee and cocoa plantations and farmers in rice fields capture the landscape of his country and his concerns about the faceless masses who toil to make ends meet.
Twenty-year-old Beniamin Cruz’s paintings also express his angst at the poverty in his country. The young self-taught artist’s canvases depict the beautiful landscape of the Dominican Republic with swaying palms, houses by the river, boats and hand prints that are commonly used by the people to decorate the walls of their modest homes. But the most prominent feature is the sad and desperate faces of the poor.
His compatriot Mirna Ledesma takes a more optimistic view. Her painting, titled Flowers of Downtown, depicts brightly coloured, child-like drawings of flowers, houses, churches, people, bicycles and cars. Chessboards and dice in this circular composition perhaps allude to the moves and gambles involved in the game of life.
Other interesting works from the Dominican Republic include paintings by Rafael Osorio, Soraya Abu Naba’a, Cisneros and Rafael Trinidad. While Osorio is engaged in what he calls “an intimate dialogue with light” through still life paintings of watermelons, pears and the folds of a curtain, Abu Naba’a, at present studying art in Paris, tries to reveal an internal life in her carefully composed drawings of root cells.
Cisneros paints magical fantasy figures and creatures inspired by Caribbean mythology and Trinidad’s colourful paintings of horses also have a magical, dream-like quality.
On the other hand, Florida-based Colombian artist Luy Maria Osorio specialises in realistic paintings of horses, masterfully capturing their majestic beauty, power and elegant movement.
Equally delightful are Bertel’s realistic portrayals of the rainforests in Colombia. His canvases lovingly depict the lush greenery and the vivid colours of the unique flowers, birds and insects found in the region.
Peru-based Jose Hernandez is also inspired by nature. His vibrant impressionistic landscapes celebrate the energy of spring while Jorge Valderrama, based in Venezuela, explores the world around us through neo-realistic depictions of everyday objects such as light switches, plumbing pipes and electrical wires.
Fifteen of the 30 artists in this exhibition are from Colombia. “In Colombia, artists bloom everywhere like flowers. It was difficult for me to pick the ones for this first exhibition but I have tried to get the best contemporary art from this art-rich country,” Nader says.
Style surfeit
The paintings, in a variety of styles, showcase every aspect of the country. Soledad Bettram gives you a taste of his country through his still life paintings of mangoes and other fruits growing in the lush countryside.
Samael Rivera’s poignant depictions of a boy on a bicycle and children walking down a street in the ancient city of Cartagena touch you emotionally, while Guido Feuillet’s series of street scenes is a much darker depiction of daily life in his country.
Fabio Mesa’s impressionistic depictions of people power convey the frustration and anger of protesters forced to take to the streets to fulfil their basic needs. Akrona’s interpretations of time and the destruction of our environment have a surrealistic quality, while Humberto Caicedo’s cubist compositions depict various aspects of Columbian life and culture.
Guillermo Spinosa’s work is inspired by Miro while Keko pays homage to Van Gogh in a dark painting and presents his vision for the future in a painting titled Twilight in 2027. Jesus Catano is very much about the here and now as he takes inspiration from ordinary objects such as electricity poles in his realistic paintings. Azul’s figurative artworks, Oscar Pinto’s abstracts, Pablo Mosquera’s paintings of bicycles and pianos are all characterised by bright, happy colours.
“I hope people here will appreciate the work of our young artists so that I can bring many more such exhibitions to the UAE,” Nader says.
The exhibition of contemporary Latin American art is on at Wafi City until May 24.
Jyoti Kalsi is a UAE-based art enthusiast.
