ALEJANDRO PIÑEIRO BELLO

On view from June 2 to 24, the presentation, titled Viaje en Espiral (Spiral Journey), will bring together new and recent paintings and works on paper by the Cuban artist. This exhibition, which marks the artist’s first solo show in Korea, will focus on his investigations of Caribbean culture and history.

In his practice spanning painting, sculpture, installation, photography, film, and virtual reality. Piñeiro Bello often examines the sociocultural dimensions of the Caribbean and its diaspora. Using traditional materials such as oil on raw linen or burlap, he creates striking layers of color in his paintings, evoking the natural landscapes and folkloric traditions of the Caribbean. His abstract and semi-abstract compositions take on otherworldly, fantastical qualities, revealing unexplored places in the artist’s own subconscious.

Included in Piñeiro Bello’s upcoming exhibition at Pace in Seoul are his paintings El Tropico Salta Y Su Chorro Invade Mi Cabeza (2023) and Murieron En La Orilla De La Playa (2023), which embody the lushness and vibrancy of the Caribbean. In these works, explosions of color, light, and baroque forms reflect the artist’s deep interest in the beauty and chaos of the natural world_._ Among the other works in the presentation is El Desconocido Son Del Areito Desapareciendo Para Toda La Eternidad (2023), a composition that captures the essence of the lost dance and music of the Ciboney people. With this painting, Piñeiro Bello celebrates the legacy of indigenous culture in the Caribbean.

The artist’s use of fragmented forms, strong strokes, and intense color has been influenced by the work of artists Wilfredo Lam, Víctor Manuel García Valdés, Mariano Rodríguez, Pablo Picasso, and Hokusai. He also draws inspiration from the writings of various poets and philosophers—such as José Lezama Lima, José Martí, and Virgilio Piñera—from Cuba.

Piñeiro Bello considers his artworks as journeys through time. The title of his forthcoming solo show in Seoul—Viaje en Espiral (Spiral Journey)—is inspired by personal and collective memories related to life and death, love, parenting, origin, and identity that are expressed in the artworks on view.