Ceramic works by Cuban-American artist Carlos Estévez are on view in Storrs Gallery through Friday, March 27. The exhibition, “Palimpsest,” is a culmination of three ceramic series that Estévez produced between 2016 and 2018. Two series were produced during a residency at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in 2016. The collective body of work focuses on the relationship between visual art and literature: Each installation is inspired by a celebrated Hispanic writer.
He will speak about his work at two receptions in the gallery at 6 p.m., Feb. 20, and 12:30 p.m., Feb. 21. See details on the College of Arts + Architecture website.
Estévez is known for his draftsman style and focus on surrealistic subjects. “Bestiary,” consisting of 19 ceramic platters, was inspired by Dulce María Loynaz (1902-1997), a Cuban poet whose works are often considered precursors to magical realism in literature. “Domestic Zoology,” a dinnerware set for 12 people, was inspired by the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986), whose works are known for their dreamlike subjects and complex symbolism. The third installation, consisting of 11 plates, was a collaboration between Estévez and Antonio Orlando Rodríguez, a contemporary Cuban fiction writer who recently won the renowned Alfaguara Prize.
A recipient of the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant, the Cintas Foundation Fellowship in Visual Arts and the Grand Prize in the First Salon of Contemporary Cuban Art in Havana, Estévez was born and raised in Cuba and moved to Miami in 2004, where he lives and works.
Solo exhibitions of his work have been presented at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana; the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University, Miami; Center of Contemporary Art, New Orleans; and Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona.