LATIN PARADE

The Anita Shapolsky Art Gallery proudly presents a diverse, multigenerational exhibition which questions expectations of “Latin Artists”. Here it is hoped that artists easily ‘paraded’ together would be seen for their disparate histories and, importantly, as individuals whose identities are as unique as their bold artistic styles. With ‘Parade’ Of Latin Artists, the AS Art Gallery is proud to continue its near 40-year tradition of creating space for artists from diverse backgrounds.

Rodolfo Abularach (1933-2020): Born in Guatemala and of Palestinian descent, Rodolfo Abularach is considered one of Latin America’s most distinguished Masters achieving international recognition for his dramatic, close-up depictions of the human eye. It’s within the mesmerizing quality of his abstractions, evoking both introspection and loneliness, that one might feel a hauntingly voyeuristic quality through which the viewer becomes the object of desire.

After completing his studies at the Escuela National de Artes Plásticas in Guatemala City in 1946, Abularach received a grant from the Directión de Bellas Artes of Guatemala. He then traveled to New York City in 1958 beginning his internationally acclaimed investigation of the eye. His work can now be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The museum of Contemporary Art, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Denmark; among many others. He is a recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mario Bencomo: Born in Cuba, Mario Bencomo’s work has been included in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; The National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana, Cuba; The art Museum of the Americas, Washington, D.C.; The Norton Museum of Art, West Pam Beach, Florida; and the Muséo de Arte Contemporáneo, Panamá; among others.

Bencomo blurs the line between the intuitive and sensual aspects of perception, drawing inspiration from ambiguity within animistic allusions to the natural world. Within a spectrum of saturated colors, his work conjures primal energies, while creating playful, colorful realms depicting abstractions between figurative relationships. As an avid reader, his works often reference, and become, poetic stories, telling of symbiosis, regeneration, and pollination.

Denise Carvalho: Brazilian-born Denise Carvalho draws inspiration from various philosophies, such as Carl Jung’s collective unconscious, Wassily Kandinsky’s concept of synesthesia, and El Lissitzki’s prouns, as she juxtaposes geometric shapes and lines, alluding to multiple ideas of space. Within this framework, borderless canvases appear as fragments of larger realities, appearing as visual codes beyond language.

Carvalho has been featured at the Fukuyama Museum, Japan; Gallery Korea, New York; the Bosnian Cultural Center, Museo Ricoleta, Buenos Ayres; La Foundation de la Republique Argentine; Cite Universitaire, Paris; Kentler Institute; and in the Florence Biennale. She has also been exhibited at the Abney Gallery and the Jadite Gallery in New York.

Pérez Celis (1939-2008): Argentinian born, Perez Celis often referenced the indigenous roots within paintings sculptures and murals, weaving thick tapestries of color with expert compositional fragmentations. It was within this striking intensity, in stroke and layering, that his work earned international acclaim by blending raw emotion with piercing planes in a neoexpressionist style.

He maintained this elegant balance in his compositions exhibiting a tension between passion and reason, earning him places in numerous major private collections and museums including the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Museum of Modern Latin American Art, Nicaragua & Washington, D.C.; the Art Museum of Philadelphia; The Museum of Syracuse University; and the national Arts Fund, Argentina. In addition, he illustrated Jorge Luis Borges’ translation of the epic Walt Whitman poem, “Leaves of Grass/ Ojas de Hierba”, and painted numerous murals on La Bombonera. Then in 1972 Celis received the Alba Award at the 61^st Salon Nacional de Artes Plásticas Argentino.

Entes: With eyes appearing to demand viewers to bear witness, Peruvian born Entes creates murals and paintings of indigenous peoples which grab viewers, embodying the dialogue a city establishes with its art. And, as a street artist, his highly detailed and expressive figures have become as distinct as they are internationally recognizable, boasting work across the Americas, United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Germany, Japan, Spain, Portugal, and more.

In one of his most recent exhibitions, “Decolonized Manifesto” in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Bogotá, the versatility of his art form was proven by utilizing the calico technique, used for preserving frescos, allowing his graffiti art-dialectic to be displayed anywhere.

Agustín Fernandéz (1928-2006): Internationally known Cuban surrealist Fernandéz is most recognizable for his balanced and often erotic imaginings, surreal juxtapositions, and metallic palette. Included in Paris Internationale in 2016, his work has been included in numerous collections and exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; The Art Institute of Chicago; The Bronx Museum of Art, New York; the Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Connecticut; El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Havana; and many more.

Often considered a surrealist for his depictions of fleshy visions and fantastical metallic inventions. His works are directly inspired by the machine, as mechanical joints, fixtures, buttons, and textures permeate his delicately rendered works. Yet, eroticism, never being understated for Fernandez, the cold metal hand of industrialization often plays tenderly with flesh, brought into focus over muted, earthly palettes.