Nelson Villalobos (Cumanayagua, 1956) presents a striking exhibition at La Acacia gallery. The title is a declaration of principles: Eureka. It’s about highlighting a discovery or the happy confirmation of an idea. This thesis, in the case of this creator, is rounded up in a concept recognized in the panorama of visual arts in Cuba and beyond its borders: "Villabolism."

In the notes to the exhibition, curator Teresa Toranzo recalls that "in its foundations, Villalobism affirms that the artist must be nourished by the best of international art, by deep-rooted sources and by postmodernism, while incorporating the hegemony of the fragment, the testing of restlessness, as well as the combinations of forms, expressions, isms, cultures, concepts, and topics."

The exhibition resolutely honors a movement based on the confluence of diverse cultural brands, proposing an exemplary symbiosis. The borders between what’s local and what’s universal are blurred, favoring a creative dialogue between symbols, forms, and colors.

The exhibition, as several chroniclers have noted, is a true visual celebration, where the fragmentation of forms does not mean rupture, but the possibility of creating new interpretations. Intense colors and dynamic shapes intertwine, creating an atmosphere that seems to be in constant motion. The pieces are articulated in a complex inner structure, which highlights the symbolic vocation.

Villalobos plays with iconographies that seem recognizable, but that, at the same time, are reinterpreted. An exploration of his own language is evident, which, although deeply rooted in personal and cultural identity, manages to connect with universal themes. This dialogue between the intimate and the global features reinforces the universality of Villalobos' work, which comprises both the everyday and the transcendental.

This is the chronicle of a permanent journey. The Cuban, the Latin American and the global co-exist within a substantial discourse on contemporary identity.

In Eureka Villalobos demonstrates his versatility and skill to adapt to different scales without losing coherence.

Nelson Villalobos has never gloated over his discoveries. His is a continuous search. His mastery of color and shapes, and his ability to merge what’s personal with a shared heritage make this exhibition another station in his journey. But there’s a long way to go. And here potential paths appear before us.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff