This exhibition shows 50 pieces by Ayón (1967–1999), who is considered one of the most outstanding figures of Cuban art of the 20th century.

It is curated by specialists Corina Matamoros and Sandra García, from the Fundación Los Carbonell, and was made possible by the collaboration of the gallery and the Belkis Ayón Estate, in Havana.

According to the National Museum of Fine Arts, of Cuba, on its Facebook profile, the opening took place last weekend and Ayón’s work received praise from the newspaper The Guardian with qualifications of “exceptionally bold” and “openly feminist.”

The newspaper said “the meaning of these works can hardly be the same for Europeans as for Cubans,” and went on to say that “interpreting Abakuá allegories would be an exhausting task if it were not for the atmospheric force of these works.”

The exhibition was preceded by a meeting with the curators.

They discussed Ayón’s renowned artistic career, including the representation of the Abakuá Secret Society, her peculiar visual narrative and her decisive technical innovations.

On its website, Modern Art Oxford highlights that the Cuban artist explored the Abakuá heritage by focusing on the mythical female figure of Sikán.

It notes that Ayón reinterprets the history of the origin of the Abakuá by making Sikán’s emotions and struggles visible in her imagery, and combines them with her own ideas and life experiences as a black Cuban woman.

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