Written by Josée Thissen-Rojer.

The solo exhibition by sculptor Angel Luis de la Rosa, ‘Retos’, can be seen until Saturday, November 13^th in Gallery Alma Blou, in Landhuis Habaai. A total of 13 of his sculptures are displayed in the large room of the gallery. The walls are bare, so the wood carvings and stone sculptures get all the attention.

The vernissage took place on Saturday evening, October 30^th, in the presence of the artist. Art lover Laureen Schenk held a lecture during the opening celebration in which she talked about her love of Angel Luis’ work and about the pieces that were on display. Angel Luis was then given the microphone, but he was modest. He thanked those in attendance for coming, however, as a man of few words, he preferred to let his work speak for him.

Angel Luis de Rosa Gonzáles (1971) was born in Cuba and has lived in Curaçao since 2009. He comes from a family of artisans whose products are highly regarded. His relatives hold occupations such as saddler, shoemaker, carpenter, graphic artist, and weaver. When Angel Luis is 12 years old, he goes to a secondary school where art is taught, the Academia José Joaquín Tejada, in Santiago de Cuba. The program is full-time, 6 days a week, and lasts 7 years. Although he excels in graphics at school, he personally prefers working with three-dimensional shapes. After completing his education, he becomes a drawing and sculpting teacher.

After this, he goes to work at the Casa de la Cultura Miguel Matamoros in Santiago de Cuba, in the arts and crafts department. Through this job, he also becomes a member of the Asociación Cubana de Artesanos Artistas. Later, he becomes president of the association and holds this position for 10 years. In the meantime, he participates in group exhibitions for craftsmen every year and regularly receives prizes and recognitions. He is also commissioned to work on several projects. In 2005, he has his first solo exhibition entitled ‘Consagración a la Primavera’ (Initiation of Spring), at the provincial institution Biblioteca Elvira Cape.

As Angel Luis approaches forty, he increasingly realizes that he feels trapped in his own country. During a short work trip to Martinique, he awakens to the realization that a society can also function differently than what he has been used to in Cuba. This further heightens his sense of restlessness. He makes the decision to emigrate, and he initially plans to go to Brazil. While he’s preparing to do this, he hears about a construction project in Curaçao, for which specialized workers are urgently needed. Angel Luis changes his plans and along with 4 compatriots, he leaves for Curaçao in 2009, with three of his wooden figurines in his luggage.

In Curaçao, he becomes involved in the construction of L’Aldea, a tourist project near Sta. Catherina. He brings his wooden figurines to Gallery Alma Blou, to see if there might be interest in his work. Gallery owner Lusette Verboom is enthusiastic and from that moment on he brings everything he creates to the gallery. After his contract with the construction project expires, Angel Luis decides to stay in Curaçao to start his own company. He is also active in the art scene and regularly participates in group exhibitions at the gallery. In the past year, he exhibited together with Marjon Wegman and Rien te Hennepe at Gallery Alma Blou (Exhibition “Klei, Steen & Hout”). In June, he’s one of the 45 local artists who would open their studio to the public during the Open Atelier Route of 2021.

‘Retos’ (Challenges) is his third solo exhibition at Gallery Alma Blou already. The title ‘Retos’ refers to the challenge the artist has created for himself in this new series. Nine of the thirteen statues are female torsos, in which he tries to capture the essence of the woman. Not contemplative or subdued but defiant, voluptuous, and lively. Each image has its own color, structure, and character. The shapes and lines are fluid, giving the impression that the torsos have been ‘captured’ and portrayed mid-motion. And although the images are provocative at times, they all have fragile and tender characteristics as well, as if Angel Luis wants to emphasize the tenderness of women above everything else.

‘Retos’ (Challenges) is his third solo exhibition at Gallery Alma Blou already. The title ‘Retos’ refers to the challenge the artist has created for himself in this new series. Nine of the thirteen statues are female torsos, in which he tries to capture the essence of the woman. Not contemplative or subdued but defiant, voluptuous, and lively. Each image has its own color, structure, and character. The shapes and lines are fluid, giving the impression that the torsos have been ‘captured’ and portrayed mid-motion. And although the images are provocative at times, they all have fragile and tender characteristics as well, as if Angel Luis wants to emphasize the tenderness of women above everything else.

The statues are made from limestone from the Tafelberg as well as from various types of wood. Visitors can walk around the statues because all sides have been fully finished and the backside of each torso is just as beautiful as the frontside. Although Angel Luis focuses on just the woman’s torso, he doesn’t do it disrespectfully. Arms, legs, head, and face have been omitted to express character and emotion in a fluid movement of the torso.

The statue ‘Falsa imagen – False image’ is created from mahogany wood. The torso is twisted and leans backward, in a defiant stance. The start of the arms seems to indicate that the arms are pointing upwards. The sides of the breasts and hips are hollowed out, creating an empty space. With this, Angel Luis wants to indicate that women sometimes alter and embellish their bodies, which results in the creation of a false representation of their bodies to the outside world. He feels that women are creating something unrealistic by doing this, but at the same time, he recognizes this as an essential aspect of being a woman.

The black sculpture ‘Colegiala – School girl’ showcases the typical posture of an adolescent girl with her recognizable budding female forms. The fragility of the stage of life is further emphasized by the slim, fragile shape and the ‘school backpack’ that she carries on her back.
In ‘Ultima lágrima – Last tear’ the torso bears a steel cone that shows a falling teardrop. The wood has a deep brown color, and the lines of the wood grains follow the lines of the body. The last tear is the moment when the woman decides to get out of a crisis situation and take matters into her own hands. The image is subdued, and the feminine forms are less prominent because the artist wants to portray the inner strength of the woman here.

In the wooden sculpture ‘Ritmo II’, the hips are emphasized. As the title indicates, it’s about the rhythm of dance, and Curaçao women love to dance. He is amazed that women on the island can effortlessly dance to many different rhythms and that their flowing movements originate in the hips. The intense connection women have with music and the way they move was the inspiration for Ritmo II.

Women are important in Angel Luis’ life. As an only child, he was raised not only by his mother, but also by his grandmother. Now that he has children of his own and two of them are girls, he also experiences women from the point of view of fatherhood. He is proud of all his 7 children and considers them the most important aspect of his life. He can’t see them every day because they still live in Cuba. Nevertheless, he has a strong bond with them.

Angel Luis has been living in Curaçao for 12 years now and has built a life here in which he feels comfortable and at home. He has great admiration for the community of Curaçao where so many nationalities live together and where he feels welcome as well. He praises the freedom he has to be able to live and work here, but also the opportunities he gets that allow him to develop artistically.

Now, Angel Luis is ready for his next challenge. He’s very happy with how his work has been received and with the many positive reactions he gets. However, it’s time to change course. At the next exhibition, he expects to present a completely different theme and style. He just hopes that when the time comes, the public will continue to support him.

This post was made possible by the financial support of Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Caribisch Gebied.
Previously published in Amigoe, November 11, 2021. Photographs by Ken Wong.

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