Dairan Fernández de la Fuente’s Bold and Vibrant Tribute to Cuba
"Cuban Chronicle," now at the Amy Kaslow Gallery in Bethesda, explores migration, memory, and emotion through vivid art.
Cuban artist Dairan Fernández de la Fuente creates bold, vibrant oils and wood blocks that capture both the calm and the stress of everyday life. His subjects are often in pursuit of leisure activities, whether that be lounging seaside, swimming, or merely relishing a plate of food.
But these are deceptive, as they present a Cuba of a bygone era, back when the island was a prime vacation destination before the dark, repressive shroud of Communism overtook its society.
“Much of my work deals with the theme of immigration, departures and displacement,” says de la Fuente in his artist’s statement for Cuban Chronicle, an exhibition of 30 works at the Amy Kaslow Gallery. “Some of my most recurrent imagery refers to separation, distance, nostalgia, anguish, and loss.”
Some of the pieces on display at the Bethesda gallery convey that mood, but many of them belie it. A man diving in Soñadas Vacaciones (Dream Vacations), or two figures, one nude, serenely lounging in a bed of grass, a farmhouse off in the distance in the Descanso (Rest), for instance.
In one of the most gripping works, a boxer on the verge of defeat is motivated to persist by a cheering crowd in “Animo!!!!!” In another, a man eats a very long strand of pasta in the whimsically named Pasiencia (Patience).
De la Fuente’s works tell stories within stories, opening up a portal of a different time in his home country. The works are beautiful, soothing, thrilling, captivating, and often so incredibly dynamic, that they veritably spring to life before your eyes.
Dairan Fernández De La Fuente: Cuban Chronicle remains on display through May 18 at the Amy Kaslow Gallery, 7920 Norfolk Ave, in Bethesda, Md. Visit www.amykaslowgallery.com.
Keep scrolling to view the rest of the Gallery:
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