St. John's University, co-sponsored by the Committee of Latin
and Caribbean Studies, is proud to present
"Young Contemporary Artists from
Cuba"
"The early 1980's began a fertile period in Cuban Art made
possible by a new breed of artists who moved away from state
regulated images and began to experiment with more complex
depictions of Cuban identity," said Denise Rompilla, Assistant
Professor of Art History at St. John's University. "In 1984,
the inception of the Havana Biennial, one of the world's most
important contemporary art exhibitions, helped Cuba become an
international artistic center."
The exhibit, "Young Contemporary Artists from Cuba," represents
the views of those who endured the period of economic turmoil that
resulted from the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. These artists
expanded upon their predecessor's critique of revolutionary ideas
through humor and populist imagery; media and installation; and a
new-fangled attention to trends in the art world. Despite the
harsh economy and restrictions placed by the United States embargo,
Cuba has become a leader in the worldwide art market over the past
decade.
Many of the works featured in this exhibit have been produced
within the last five years; some were recently on display at the
2003 Havana Biennial and Art Basel Miami. Although the
artists represented in this exhibit continue to live and work in
Cuba, they have received international acclaim and are featured in
prominent foreign collections. Artists include: illustrator
Carlos Estévez; sculptors and installation artists William Pérez
and Adrian Rambaut; printmaker Sandra Ramos; photographers and
video artists Juan Carlos Alom and Cirenaica Moreira; painter Kadir
López (Kdir); mixed media artists Elsa Mora and sisters Yamilys and
Jacqueline Brito; and primitivists Alejandro Lazo, Joel Jover among
others.
View 'Untitled' by Kadir Lopez.
Special thanks to the Center for Cuban Studies in New York and
the Fraser Gallery in Washington, D.C. for facilitating the loan of
these works.
Dates
Tuesday, February 10 through Saturday, March 13, 2004
Time
Reception
Tuesday, February 10 - 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Gallery Hours
T - F: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
S: 12 - 5 p.m.
Location
Chung-Cheng Art Gallery, Sun Yat-Sen Hall, Queens Campus
More Information
Chung-Cheng Art Gallery
Parvez Mohsin
Gallery Director
(718) 990-7476
Media Inquiries
Christine Dolan
Assistant Director of Media Relations
(718) 990-2451
dolanc@stjohns.edu