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Untitled

Untitled

Artist/Maker (Cuban, 1950–1991)
Date1988
MediumGouache and watercolor on paper
DimensionsOverall: 30 1/8 × 21 7/8 in. (76.5 × 55.6 cm)
Credit LineGift of Cristina Delgado (OC 1980) and Stephen F. Olsen (OC 1979)
Object number1995.18.2
Status
On view
CopyrightRestricted copyright: owned by Carlos Alfonzo.More Information
Alfonzo fled Cuba in a boat lift in 1980 at age 30, arriving in Miami in search of artistic freedom. His work references art historical lineages of Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism, as well as a range of religious symbols. Fragments of smiles and tongues pierced with daggers recur in his work and are derived from Santería—an Afro-Cuban religion that combines Yoruba beliefs and Catholic customs. The chaos and violence in this work also register the suffering that Alfonzo witnessed around him as he made it, three years prior to his own death from AIDS.
Exhibition History
Latin American and Latino Art at the Allen
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (September 2, 2014 - June 28, 2015 )
The Body, The Host: HIV / AIDS and Christianity
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (January 20, 2024 - December 15, 2024 )
Collections
  • Modern & Contemporary
  • On View
This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator. Noticed a mistake? Have some extra information about this object? Please contact us.