One of the major Latin American artists of his generation, Rafael Soriano (1920-2015) became known for his evocative paintings that foreground light as subject matter. He was a key figure in introducing Concrete Art, a geometric style devoid of symbolism or representation, in Cuba. In the 1950s, Soriano created works with post-Mondrian, rectilinear compositions and bold, flat colors. Along with painters José Mijares, Sandu Darie, Lola Soldevilla, Luis Martinez Pedro and others, Soriano was a member of the group Los Diez Pintores Concretos (Ten Concrete Painters), which advocated for a utopian form of art as realized through concrete and geometric abstraction. In the wake of the 1959 revolution and Fidel Castro's regime, however, Soriano fled to Miami in 1962 with his wife Milagros and young daughter Hortensia, leaving behind a thriving artistic career in Cuba. Working as a graphic designer and occasional teacher in Miami, Soriano stopped painting for two years out of exiled despair. Upon receiving a spiritual revelation in a dream, Soriano began painting again and his style transformed from geometric abstraction into the oneiric, luminous gradations of light and shadow he came to be known for. In a 1997 interview, he stated, 'The anxieties and sadness of exile brought in me an awakening. I began to search for something else; it was through my painting. . . And I went from geometric painting to a painting that is spiritual. I believe in God, I believe in the spirit.' (1)
