The Sea Remembers
WHAT
The Puerto Rico-born American artist’s first solo exhibition in Asia since he joined the gallery in 2022 consists of 9 new paintings. Known for his signature approach to visual storytelling, synthesising magical realism and abstraction, the observed and the imagined, and the past and the present, the show contains large-scale canvases that are vibrant in colour and showcase the figurative and abstract sides of the his signature style. Continuing his exploration of oil paint as a tool for self-reflection, the exhibition draws from his memories growing up in Puerto Rico, as well as influences from luminaries such as Willem de Kooning. The exhibition also showcases multi-media works that span materials such as plexiglass, fabric, and collage images. These multi-layered pieces are meant to emulate how the imprecise memories of our past are pieced together to construct our present.
WHY
The artist explores a motif of the sea as something beautiful yet terrifying. The sea is something that Puerto Rico and Hong Kong have in common, as they are both islands surrounded by water. The artist sees waves as something that represents him and the shifting nature of his memory. He paints different objects within the waves – often symbolising his family members. Audiences are invited to explore the artist’s memories as well as their own in this visually-engaging and insightful exhibition.