Art

Long ago I left a tropical island to live in the jungle of New York. For the past twenty years, I have been living in New England, acclimating to the cold. As I struggle through the damp heavy fog that comes in from the day, I feel suspended in space on a wet cold winter’s day. I must wear five layers of clothing to protect myself from the elements. At times like this, the inspiration for my current work takes root and sparks a desire to re-live the past, to re-capture my memories of childhood in the Dominican Republic, where the sunlight and warmth gave me a sense of happiness and freedom.

I have vivid memories of running through my grandmother’s garden, watching humming birds suck nectar from the flowers as the sun sparkled on ripe mangoes and towering coconut trees. The warm sun caresses my skin with its warmth. My golden body becomes energized as I skip along barefoot, and butterflies dance around me. Luscious green mountains overlook small colorful houses that shine like jewels. Rainbows race across the landscape; my heart, soul and very being are united.

My work is an attempt and a desire to live this part of my life over and over.

When you first meet Juan, you meet a man with the look or expression of a thinker, one who is deep in thought. However, after being in his presence for a little while, that expression is soon replaced with an enchanting smile and a debonair baritone voice that’s engaging, especially on topics dear to his heart and soul. He is not inhibited. He speaks loud and always has something worthwhile to say. This can also be said about his artwork.

Much of Juan’s work, which includes drawings, paintings and printmaking, is reflective of his time spent growing up in the Dominican Republic, where he lived until the age of eight. It is also, reflective of his everyday sensations and interactions with life in New York. His life experience, in both places, is the substance, which fuels his creative fire. Juan has stated that his inspiration for his early work came from time spent riding the trains and buses or sitting in coffee shops and cafeterias in New York.

Juan’s artwork was so promising that he received a full scholarship at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where is received his 4 year Studio Art Diploma. Juan also completed the Museum’s Fifth Year Certificate Program and was awarded the prestigious Traveling Scholars Fellowship. Juan finally got the opportunity to exhibit his work at the Museum of Fine Art in Boston in 1993.

Since that time, Juan has exhibited his work in several New England venues in the United States and abroad, both as a solo artist and in group shows. As a solo artist, he exhibited “Art for the Blind” at the Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA and “ My Childhood Memories” at the Taipei University, Taiwan, 1999.

From his more recent work, it is clear that he is drawing from, or using as inspiration, his memories of his formative years, growing up in the Dominican Republic, to share with us these vivid, bold and beautiful views of a series of pieces he calls, “Childhood Memories.”

Writer: Lionel Crawford