Carole Pinto Fine Arts
Ismael Ramiro Rodriguez
Cuban Artist (1970 -)
'The Ceiba Tree and the Sea' (upper left)
Oil on canvas, 39 x 63 in.
Cuban folklore speaks of deities that live in the ceiba tree, whose deep roots and wide branches connect the terrestrial realm to the celestial realms.
$7,800
'Arcadian Landscape' (upper right)
Oil on canvas, 31 x 56 in.
The intense coloration and detailed precision of the foliage contrasts with the mountain range, whose flowing shapes add rhythm and structure to the composition.
$7,800
'Storm in the Valley' (lower left)
Oil on canvas, 27 x 35 in.
The flurry of showers that appears to obliterate the right side of the composition conveys a rhythmic energy and spontaneous outbursts, suggesting turbulence and passion.
$4,200
'Spiritual Seas' (lower right)
Oil on canvas, 27.5 x 35 in.
The Sontaria cult, or mystical beliefs in spirits, came to Cuba with the migration of the Yoruba tribe from Africa. The 'faces' of these spirits are represented by masks floating within the urn, evoking the Dokun, or God of the Sea. These religious and cultural themes became deeply embedded in Cuban peoples' deep, spiritual connection with nature.
$6,800
'River Cascades' (bottom)
Oil on canvas, 22 x 35.5 in.
The flow of the cascading waterfall animates the composition, neatly dividing the pictorial surface, and provides a backdrop to this lush, Edenic landscape.
$4,200
Rodriguez studied fine art at the prestigious Escuela Nacional de Belas Artes in Havana where he graduated in 1990. His paintings have been presented in Cuba in more than twenty personal and collective exhibitions, and are part of private collections in the U.S., the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Brazil, Cuba and France. His work is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of American Art, Maximillien Reis, in Austria.
The body of Rodriguez’ work conveys his deep, spiritual attachment to his native land, and he portrays traditional Trinidad landscape with virtuosic technique as well as mystical prowess. Rodriguez's love of nature is revealed through his rigourous approach to defining every detail, and he succeeds in creating a highly atmospheric work that emanates luminosity and transcends the topographical elements of the composition.