Fireworks

Fireworks Carlos EstévezAt the beginning of 2016, Carlos Estévez received an artistic residency at the McColl Art Center for the Arts + Innovation in Charlotte, North Carolina. This multidisciplinary space offers artists, among other facilities, ovens for ceramics which caught his attention immediately. In the four months that he spent in the center, he produced more than 200 ceramic works in those ovens. "It's definitely a charming place, -said Carlos- full of ghosts and spirits that do not rest. From the very beginning, I connected with that energy and it was my source of inspiration through the magic of fire. The ovens and their alchemy took care of the rest to keep me emerged in experimentation throughout the whole residency. The works that I am showing here are the results of that experience." The more than 60 ceramic plates that he created are presented now at Kendall Art Center in an exhibition titled "Fireworks." These elegant, expressive images reveal Estévez's artistic and emotional universe and explore many of the themes used in his paintings, such as Anatomy, Architectures, Dancers, Moons, Metamorphosis, Demons, Spirits. Several ceramic plates from the Rodríguez Collection and other private collections are also in the exhibition. Carlos Estévez is one of the artists closest to the Kendall Art Center, because his presence and friendship with the collector. By presenting, collecting and preserving these significant ceramic achievements of Carlos Estévez, the Center hopes to develop a deeper understanding of cultural values and traditions. The Rodríguez Collection aims to educate and create an ongoing dialogue with the public in the concepts of contemporary art and its role in society. Henry Ballate M. F. A.