The Gallery Concha Ferrant from Guanabacoa in Havana will exhibit until January 30, paintings from Jesus Alvarez Ferrer (Jealfe) with the title An Approach to the Roots with 22 works in acrylic on cartoon, or clothe and inspired on Afro-Cuban religions (Yoruba, conga and abakua).
In his paintings with marked naives referents, where the rich colors representing several of the deities from Yoruba Pantheon and the so many mythical interpretations complete the pictorial speech, with baroque style where the imaginations excels by means of lines that draw faces, plants, attributes , rituals and ceremonies of magic and spells taken from the never ending legacy of those black people brought from far countries like Congo, Nigeria, Angola and other African territories.
As it was said by its own creator, by means of these works, he tries to recall the experiences of the years of his childhood and part of his youth, when he lived in La Hata neighborhood in Guanabacoa, where the practice of the African religions was a matter of everyday activities in many of the neighbors and friends of that zone.
An approach to the roots is devoted to the African religious association San Lazaro’s Sons and mainly to the leader founder, palero, abakua, santero and babalawo, Enrique Hernandez Armenteros, “for his fruitful spiritual job and the respect he has won from his people,” Jealfe said who was professor of art appreciation in the Pedagogical Institute Makarenko and was linked to the workshop school of plastic arts Concha Ferrant from Guanabacoa.
Among other personal and collective exhibitions carried out in several galleries in the Cuban capital, Havana, we could recently enjoy his exhibition Ciudad Azul (Blue city) and in the Salon Raices (Root Hall).
