FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
C
E S A R W
I N S T O N V
E R A
Chi-Chiz is pleased to announce its first exhibition of the
work of Cesar Winston Vera. For his
first solo
Using acrylic paints, Vera has stained the
surface of canvas and wood with his somber palette. Viscous tones of blues, browns, and blacks
are highlighted by warm hues of yellows, oranges, and reds. These rich, earthy shades synthesize
themselves into emaciated, haunting forms reminiscent of Egon
Schiele juxtaposed by the emotional tension one finds
in the works of Edvard Munch and Francis Bacon. The artist’s subjects are suspended in
backgrounds that range from static to frantic, all the while making Vera’s hand
prevalent through each brush stroke.
They all seem to be trapped within the confines of someone else’s,
misconceptions and condemnation.
The “Undercover Cross” series takes its title
from the relationship that one has with their own body while trying to co-exist
with a disease. The cumbersome task of
carrying this “cross” is the bearer’s alone.
It is obscured from the view of others because of fear of scrutiny,
ridicule, and ignorance. Mortality takes
on a whole new meaning in a circumstance such as this one. The artist, and his work, span across
national and geographic boundaries for this illness is not unique to this
country alone. In relation to the work
of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Vera is giving the viewer a personal insight to the
mental state of a person who is trying to cope with the torture of surviving
such an infliction. Who you were before
the illness, somehow slowly dissipates into the unknown of what your
physicality will be after the illness has taken control. As the artist has noted, “the ‘Undercover
Cross’ series will offer a novel perspective on a contemporary
disease that remains in the shadows cast by social blindness.” The voice that Vera gives to his work is not
exclusively his alone, for its effect has been felt globally, however it is a
personal introspective that should be heard by all.
- Karin Melone
An
artist-designed publication will accompany the exhibition.
For
further information, please contact Cesar Winston Vera