"The artists José Parlá and Claudia Hilda, his wife, live in a former fire station in Fort Greene surrounded by memories of Cuba, which Parlá's family fled in 1970 and where Hilda lived until recently. "There's a lot of magical realism here, a big mix of Cuban traditions and religion," says Parlá, pointing to an icon of la Caridad del Cobre, the island's patron saint, in the kitchen. "We cannot move her!""
"Parlá, whose "Ciclos" series is on view at the Brooklyn Museum until March, bought the 1901 two-story building in 2008. For about 20 years, it had been the home of Spike Lee's production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, before it was purchased by the Japanese photographer Yasuo Ihara. "He was around 98 years old," says Parlá. "It's been this artistic environment, and, for years, I had my studio downstairs.""
José Parlá and Claudia Hilda reside in a renovated 1901 Fort Greene firehouse filled with Cuban memories, art, and religious icons. The kitchen holds an icon of la Caridad del Cobre that remains permanently in place. Parlá purchased the building in 2008 after its long use by Spike Lee's 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks and ownership by photographer Yasuo Ihara. Parlá moved his studio to a Gowanus warehouse and converted the upstairs into a library and home office, enlarging skylights and renovating floors, kitchen, and bathroom. Cuban art, Latin American vinyl, tropical plants, and a significant sculpture by Robert Overby occupy the space.
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