Significant Private Collection of Cuban Art Featured in Westport Arts Center's Two Steps Forward Exhibition

The Westport Arts Center is pleased to present Two Steps Forward: Contemporary Cuban Art, an exhibition featuring a diverse and compelling range of works by emerging and established Cuban artists, on display April 29 – June 4. The opening reception will be held Friday, April 29 from 6 – 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

Two Steps Forward: Contemporary Cuban Art features a significant collection of contemporary Cuban art from the private collection of Greenwich, Connecticut residents Terri and Steven Certilman. The Certilmans, who have sourced pieces directly from the artists during their travels to Cuba over the last decade, are dedicated to promoting the country’s artistic talent.

Steven Certilman offers the following insight into the Cuban art world, “The unique political, social and economic conditions in Cuba have combined to catalyze what may be the world's highest concentration of artistic talent. Their works are as diverse as the country's rich cultural heritage. It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Art is the window to the Cuban soul.”

The painting and sculpture in the show, curated by Certilman and guest curator Arianne Faber Kolb, explore Cuban identity, its diverse cultural heritage, and the political climate and its resulting geographical isolation and emigration. The works are expressions of the soul, beauty, and fortitude of the Cuban people, and how they have met and overcome the circumstances imposed upon their lives.

The Two Steps Forward title refers to the current political and artistic climate in Cuba and the thaw in relations with the United States. The lifting of travel and trade restrictions between the two countries has allowed artists to have access to more resources and to gain more exposure. However, change is slow and economic strains continue for much of the population. Thus, the title is designed to imply a reference to the adage, “two steps forward, one step back.”

Curator Arianne Faber Kolb stated, “This is the beginning of a transformational phase of Cuban art and culture. The works in the show reflect the evolution of artistic thought and expression over the past fifteen years. This exhibition presents a unique opportunity for the Westport Arts Center to highlight the work of highly talented Cuban artists and to educate the community about what it means to be Cuban on multiple levels.”

The artists represented in the exhibition include established figures, such as Abel Barroso, Luis Enrique Camejo, Manuel Mendive, Juan Roberto Diago, Jose Roberto Fabelo, and Kcho. Barroso’s wooden sculptures and intricately constructed mixed media works made of pencil shavings are witty and humorous commentaries on the economic situation. Kcho’s images of precariously stacked rafts refer to the desire and the risks involved in fleeing from one’s circumstances. Fabelo’s monumental and iconic Mermaid’s Dream depicts a sleeping figure (Cuba) detached from reality and surrounded by drifting boats.

Diago’s moving spiritual and abstract work draws on elements of his Afro-Cuban heritage in addressing issues of race, religion, and slavery. Mendive promotes his Afro-Cuban culture through his colorful art by referencing his Yoruba spirituality, Cuban history, and colonialism.

The young artists emerging on the art scene and making their mark include Joniel Leon, Harold Lopez, William Perez, and Mabel Poblet. While Leon and Lopez describe the desires of Cubans through their highly crafted drawings and paintings, Poblet and Perez make statements about the Cuban identity by employing a variety of materials in innovative ways.

For more information on the exhibition, please call the Westport Arts Center at 203/222-7070 or visit westportartscenter.org. For more area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com