February 03, 2004
Jamaica, NY - St. John's University is proud to present "Young
Contemporary Artists from Cuba," at the Chung-Cheng Art Gallery,
located in Sun Yat-Sen Hall on the Queens campus, at 8000 Utopia
Parkway, Jamaica, NY. The exhibit will begin on Tuesday,
February 10, 2004 and run through Saturday, March 13, 2004.
"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.
The exhibition is co-sponsored by the Committee of Latin and
Caribbean Studies. 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.
"Young Contemporary Artists from Cuba," may be viewed during
gallery hours, Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and
Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. For further information, please
contact Gallery Director, Parvez Mohsin at 718-990-7476.
Media inquiries may be directed to Christine Dolan, Assistant
Director of Media Relations at 718-990-2451 or dolanc@stjohns.edu.