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Art exhibition of 30 Cuban artists in Islamabad celebrate 60th anniversary of Pakistan-Cuba diplomatic ties and pay tribute to Cuban musician Sara González
Islamabad — The dynamic art exhibition by 30 Cuban artists in Islamabad was a festive evening and celebration of art and culture.
A large number of diplomats, artists and socialites of Islamabad joined the gathering where they were welcomed by Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción, Ambassador of the Republic Cuba in Pakistan. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was the guest at the evening while statesman Aitzaz Ahsan and Ambassador of Argentina, Rodolfo J. Martin-Saravia also graced the event.
Foreign envoys and Cuban, Pakistani artists had not just one but three reasons to celebrate the day according to Mr. Jesús Zenén Buergo. The day marked the National Culture Day of the Republic of Cuba as well as 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Cuba. While the artists’ work paid tribute to the memory of great Cuban singer Sara Gonzalez.
“For the first time in Pakistan works of 30 Cuban artists was put on display,” Cuban Ambassador adding that such a magnificent collection of Cuban artists has never been displayed before in Pakistan.He believed the exhibition will bridge cultures of Cuba and Pakistan and help promote cultural exchange opportunities.
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30 artworks by 30 Cuban pay tribute to Sara González
The exhibition titled, “Sara, sin ir más lejos” (Sara, without going any further), comprised of more than 60 art pieces produced by various Cuban artists.
Over 30 silk screen prints by contemporary Cuban artist Liudmila Lopez Dominguez were the center of attraction at the exhibit. Liudmila was the only Cuban artist attending the show and representing the art and culture of Cuba.
Other Cuban artists who paid homage to Sara through their artworks include: Nelson Dominguez, Rafael Paneca, Flora Fong, Omar Morales, Ruben Rodriguez, Roberto Fabelo, Carlos del Toro, Rafael Zarza, Angel Rivero, Ernesto Garcia, Ricardo Silveria, Lesbia Vent Dumois, Luis Lamothe Duribe, Yamilys Brito, Angel Ramirez, Alicia Leal, Julio C. Pena, Isolina Limonta, Oscar Osmeivy, Juan Moreira, Ziada del Rio, Eduardo Abela, Carlos Ayress, Diana Balboa, Liudmila López Domínguez, Abel Prieto, Octavio Irving, Eduardo Roca, Max Delgado and Jose Omar Torres.
Most of the art pieces were lithographic, some xylographic and a couple of them were calligraphic. Visitors took great interest in Silkscreen printing artwork by Liudmila López Domínguez.
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Liudmila López Domínguez’s artworks cherished by Pakistanis
Vibrant and eccentric silk-screen printing artworks of Dominguez were featured in the exhibition among the 30 Cuban artists.
“I’m very happy to bring Cuban art to Pakistan for the second time,” said Dominguez, adding that she is excited to be in Pakistan because she finds the local culture very unique and different from her home culture.
The exhibition aims to bridge cultures and explore the potential for cultural exchange opportunities from both countries, said Dominguez, who is also the owner and director of her studio-gallery “Bablú Ayé” in Havana, Cuba.
The artworks of Dominguez have a recurrent element of women’s feet attired in elaborately decorated footwear, painted toe-nails, and with sporadic props such as guitars, the Cuban flag, eyes and black-and-white spirals.
Liudmila López Domínguez’s inspiration is women’s shoes which have been the theme of her countless works. “Shoes reflect my interest in continuing my discourse about gender, which involves what I can symbolically depict. This allows me to make connections between my own personal history and the collective one that are related to glamour, classes, comfort, and even states of mind” according to Cubaplus.
The talented young Cuban artist has participated in more than hundred group exhibitions in Mexico, USA, Spain, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Australia and Cuba. She has curated more than 21 shows in Spain and Greece.
The young artist has won many awards and mentions for her outstanding work.
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Sara González – voice of victory
Cuban singer, songwriter and guitar Sara González was one of the original voices of the New Cuban Song Movement. The Cuban newspaper Granma published an article entitled “Sara will always be the voice of victory”, because of her paradigmatic voices of the Cuban New Song Movement over the past 50 years. She died in Havana, Cuba in 2012 at the age of 60.
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Photo courtesy: Shabeer H. Masoom