Carlos Alfonzo and Belkis Ayon Unite in 'Odyssey' at Freedom Tower

"The exhibition, titled "Carlos Alfonzo and Belkis Ayón: Odyssey," pairs expressive abstract paintings on canvas and paper by Alfonzo with Ayón's signature collagraph prints featuring imagery and iconography sourced from the Afro-Cuban Abakuá fraternal religious order."

"Both Alfonzo and Ayón have seen reappraisal in recent years: Alfonzo received retrospectives at the Pérez Art Museum Miami in 2016 and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami in 2022, while Ayón's art world reputation has soared ever since a traveling exhibition in 2016."

"The curator points to a mutual interest in mythology, both of the Western Greco-Roman tradition and of Afro-Cuban origins, as well as influences from European and Cuban art shared among the two artists."

The Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College presents "Carlos Alfonzo and Belkis Ayón: Odyssey," uniting two major Cuban artists in their first joint exhibition. Alfonzo's expressive abstract paintings are paired with Ayón's distinctive collagraph prints featuring Afro-Cuban Abakuá imagery. Both artists achieved international recognition before their early deaths and have experienced recent reappraisal through major retrospectives and exhibitions. While their visual styles appear markedly different—Ayón's dark, moody figurations contrasting with Alfonzo's energetic abstractions—curator Amy Galpin identifies significant connections between them, including shared interests in Greco-Roman and Afro-Cuban mythology, as well as common influences from European and Cuban artistic traditions.

Read at Miami Herald