Some years ago, I was walking with some friends in downtown Havana when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a collection of art hanging on the wall of an ice cream shop which could have been hanging in one of New York's finest exhibit spaces.
These paintings were weirdly alluring, with astounding bravura and flourish. It took days to learn where the artist lived and, then, a 30-mile taxi ride. But when we arrived, we knew we had discovered a great talent.
His name is Luis Abreu. And his first show in the United States opens tonight, Friday, May 19, at the Gallery on Greene. The artist's reception is 4-7 p.m.
But Abreu won't be there. The U.S. government has refused to give him a cultural via to be at his own opening. He has, in essence, been banned from the U.S.A.
We have arranged for him to talk with us by phone, however, through his interpreters.
Abreu is, from a professional perspective, one of the most talented young artists in Cuba today. He has a Master's in Fine Art from the prestigious San Alejandro Academy in Havana, the incubator for some of Cuba's most famous artists. Some of these artists painted the interior of the San Carlos Institute here in Key West.
Abreu's art is so fascinating due to its enormous range, diversity and sophistication. Some works are exquisitely esoteric, while others have a naive feel. All of it is fresh and most arresting.
The black-and-white work of Cuban photographer Leisis Elisa Cordovi Diaz will also be on display.
Info: 294-1669.