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PRESERVING A CULTURAL HERITAGE

THE COFFEE PAINTINGS OF REYNIER LLANES

THURSDAY – DECEMBER 2nd, 2010

TIME 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Drinking Cuban coffee is a cultural and social activity where the majority of the Cubans congregate to share the events of the day and welcome friends and family. The coladito or the espresso as many call it is a daily ritual that draws family and friends together or enhances the game of dominoes, and often the enjoyment of a great cigar after a good meal.

While in Cuba I woke up every morning to the rich steamy aroma of freshly brewed and strained coffee prepared by my mother to begin the day. It was a custom and a tradition for all of us to meet early in the morning with pleasant conversation and prepare for the day’s events. One day as I was drinking my coffee, I spilled a drop on one of my drawings and without worrying about the damage I waited for it to dry and saw the effect it produced. I was amazed at what incredibly happened. The coffee bled into the paper in a fascinating manner, the tinted sienna color was perfect. In Cuba my art materials like watercolors were very limited and I soon learned to take advantage of that accident and started to master the use of Cuban espresso coffee as an essential medium to my works on paper.

Upon arriving in the United States I immersed myself in painting in oils on canvas as this medium was readily accessible. Early in 2010 while I continued to paint in oils, it was my memories of home and the ritual aroma of coffee that brought me back to the painting with Cuban coffee on paper. This process is full of enjoyment and satisfaction for me since it is loaded with memories of my island, my family, and culture. Now each painting carries the scent of this magical bean and I use the coffee medium to convey a surreal and sometimes supernatural atmosphere in my creations.