Leonardo Pablo
American Landmark: Artist in Residence Finalist, 2020
Leonardo is an artist from Camagüey, Cuba whose work spans across the mediums of wood sculpture, oil painting, furniture design, and lighting installations. He has an incredibly creative spirit, and his philosophy is to work with what he’s got with full gratitude.
He works on mastering his craftsmanship in his studio at home in Cuba, while planning his next larger scale works, such as installations he could offer as part of this residency. “The work’s speech goes against violence, killing, war... reference of human behavior and world politics. It’s a warning of a possibilities and catastrophic consequences, a claiming for peace and love.”
Also a painter, Leonardo’s considers his abstract/figurative paintings to be fundamentally erotic. “They are like a mirror to my living personal experiences, real stories hide back female form’s fragments, where the work’s names are transformed into clues to follow through until the character or anecdote. The materials and colors used in each painting become another way of expression.” Leonardo hopes to bring the community towards liberated expression, to help them get past blocks and just get going.
His practice is not only personal aesthetic, but also serves as a political and social critique. His symbolism references Cuba’s history, and brings his wisdom of experience with force and relatedness. One of is woodworking pieces for example, made from reclaimed wood, is a reproduction of both sides of the Peso Coin. As part of his residency, he has offered to teach basic woodworking/sculpture from recycled materials.
