Current Exhibitions
The La Casita Cultural Center Gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and is free and open to the public.
Transfiguring Art: Contemporary Colombian Abstract Painting
Free and Open to the public Exhibit: April 26 to July 30, 2013
Transfiguring Art: Contemporary Colombian Abstract Painting is a collection of oil and acrylic pieces on canvas showcasing three contemporary Colombian artists exploring of non-figurative art. The exhibit is conceived as a bridge-building opportunity and artistic exchange between artists residing at home and in the diaspora, in Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. It includes paintings by Fernando Manrique, Rafael Ordoñez, and Esperanza Tielbaard Pazmiño, all of whom explore the of textural and composition possibilities in abstract art.
The artistic proposals of Manrique, Ordoñez and Pazmiño share an interest in communicating the rich sensory experiences and of the conceptual suggestions possible in pictorial abstraction. Their works explore alternative ways of engaging reality and ask viewers to see through the senses as they travel through interweaving forms, suggestive textures, and provoking compositions. Their canvases challenge accepted distinctions between abstract and figurative painting, as well as between purist and committed art from Latin America, since they incorporate issues of identity, technology, nature, and affect as themes to be explored through the senses.
The collection invites us to be seduced by the mix and to reflect on our understanding of artistic creation and perception, and changing patterns in the 21st century.
Inmaculada Lara-Bonilla
Director of Programming
La Casita Cultural Center
About the Artists
Esperanza Tielbaard Pazmiño is a Colombian artist who now resides in Baldwinsville, New York. Born in Cali, Colombia. Her formal art education began in Colombia learning oil painting, drawing, sketching techniques and continued in the United States with the exploration of glass making. In 1985, she returned to Colombia, setting up her own studio to work with glass and other media. Her two mentors, Maestro Oviedo and Hernando Tejada, were very prominent Colombian artists; both became a solid source of inspiration and encouragement to continue her art career. While in Colombia, she participated in the creation of the Art Park, which displays monthly local artists' exhibits, and is still in existence to this day. Tielbaard attended the Conservatorio Antonio Maria Valencia of Fine Arts in Cali, Colombia and continued her art education in the Netherlands, Indonesia and the United States in the following years. Artist Statement Rafael Ordoñez Franco was born in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. His artistic education was gained through the attendance and study at many creative workshops, such as Rayo Museum, where he studied under internationally acclaimed artists Umberto Giangrandi and Gilberto Acevez Navarro. There he developed skills in the artistic techniques of painting, drawing, engraving, and calligraphy. He has displayed his work both in solo and group exhibits in a variety of arts institutions in Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador including Museo Rayo in Roldanillo, Columbia, Museo Art Moderno in Cuenca, Equador, and Museo Agora in Fresnillo, Mexico. Artist Statement Fernando Manrique Martínez was born in Santiago de Cali in 1959. His formal art education took place at the Instituto de Bellas Artes of Cali between 1980 and 1985. Since then he has participated in numerous collective exhibitions throughout Colombia, Argentina and Spain, and has also presented individual shows in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Russia. Through this exhibit, Manrique hopes to help activate “a fruitful exchange with other Colombian and U.S. based artists, an artistic and cultural exchange, as well as to present my technique and style.” Artist Statement
Pazmiño has exhibited throughout the Americas, as well as in Portugal, Spain, and the UK. Her work has also been published on several group and solo collectives and exhibits. In this region, she has received the memorial Prize as part of the Associated Artists of Central NY members show 2011 and 2012.
I specialize in creating figurative, landscape, and contemporary abstracts. My paintings are dynamic and celebrate the elegance and rich geography of my home country. Through them I try to evoke the mysteries of Colombia’s ancient civilizations. Bold geometric lines capture lyrical rhythms while deep acrylics mimic mountains and the ever-changing beauty of the landscape. My paintings are fueled by a passion for the natural world and its abundance. As multi-disciplinary artist, I use several contemporary materials as well as metallic acrylic paints to create my pieces. Vibrant golds produce fascinating images that also symbolize the Indian roots of Colombia’s past.
My philosophy in art is embodied and interpreted on a range of issues all, all topics with a common goal: transcendence. I use a variety of themes, textures, forms and delicacies in my work, as I gravitate towards multidimensional issues such spirituality, human suffering, magic, joy, and sorrow. Examples of these themes are expressed in several of my series works, including, Puzzles, Lizard Men, Colombia Tropic of Cancer, and Lost Worlds. In my series, Eclipse of Forms, I recreated my experiences in nature through the usage of firm brush strokes, and cheerful color combinations; a departure from my typical style and technique.
My proposal is to engage the viewer in the movement that is inherent in the composition process. I strive to produce color, texture, and present what I call the non-form. This means that I ask the viewer to look beyond form, to consider that it is not necessary to observe through a traditional lens that tends to seeks form, even if the painting tried to recreate a natural landscape.
