Animism

Discovering Cuban Art: Artist Rolando Duartes Receives an Exhibition at Art Acacia Gallery

The Art Acacia Gallery will open a unique online exhibition featuring works of Cuban artist Rolando Duartes on June 19th, on view until September 11th. Following political changes, Cuban culture becomes more accessible and more intriguing than ever before. A new collection, ‘Animism’, will display 10 artworks by Duartes which represent his dynamic, abstract style, formed and shaped by a variety of cultural backgrounds in Cuba as well as outside of the island.

The core meaning of Animism refers to a system of beliefs that is not a doctrine per se, but rather a view of the world endowing its objects, nature or universe with a soul. Animism underlines several religions including, for example, beliefs of Native Americans. Although at first it was seen as a ‘primitive’ practice, nowadays, with a fast-spreading concern with the relationship between humans and environment, there is an increasing interest towards fundamental ideas of animism.

The Duartes’ show reflects upon concepts like ‘life’, ‘spirit’, ‘consciousness’, ‘mindfulness’. Through his whimsical creatures inhabiting forests and deep waters, the artist impersonates the environment we live in. There is an obvious sense of connection with nature and metaphysical world. His abstract paintings invite viewers to see how familiar objects embody new features and connect with us through senses, intuition, and beliefs. ‘Animism’ series is full of magic and fairy-tale-like stories which touch upon a deeper level of self-identification in relations to the world around us and to the whole Universe.

Born in Havanna, Cuba in 1955, Rolando was deeply involved with art production for a National Theater and run several art exhibitions in Cuba, Colombia, Philippines, and Japan. In 1997 Rolando moves to Denmark to complete his residency. There, the artist holds several art shows and became a part of a group exhibition HULRUM Masnedó Fortet together with 31 artists from Northern Europe. For the last decade, Rolando Duartes has been living and working in Switzerland. He continues exhibiting his artworks around the world. Over the years his paintings have moved into private collections in Europe, Asia, US, and Canada.

Rolando Duartes works will be proudly presented by Art Acacia Gallery from June 19th until September 11th on our website: artacacia.com. Art Acacia is an online art gallery offering a collection of unique, hand-picked art from contemporary artists around the world. We are inspired by the mission to promote emerging artists outside of their native environment and to bring most valuable pieces to our clients.

For more images and more information, contact:
Inna Didenko +1 415 937 33 14 (inna@artacacia.com)