MONTI8 is delighted to announce its second project at VISTA: “ Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez – Let Me In”.
In this occasion, the small room of VISTA will host a selection of a new series, specifically thought for the space, small and medium scale works which reflect on the theme of isolation at the present time.
Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez was born and raised in Miami, from a Cuban family. His grandfather migrated to the States over sixtie years ago, but his family always kept a connection with his roots. This connection brought Sanchez to leave the United States to go to live to Havana, being the first of his family returning to Cuba in decades.
Moving to a new country was incredibly relevant to his practice. Living in Cuba, for him, meant
meeting a different society, less affected by technology and more focused on relationships and human contacts.

His paintings are mostly portraits of people he meets. All of these characters are described with an intimate way, in fact, thanks to a very delicate and soft painting, the artist is able to catch – and brings out – the man’s inner soul. Whatever the subject is, Sanchez’s works reveal the most private side of his figures, and convey a sense of tenderness as well as strong sensuality. In “Any Place but Here”, the portrait of a girl with a pink dress, for instance, the way the figure moves, the clothes and
the expression on her face suggest a subtle sensuality, but also grace and elegance.
Other works of this new series are imbued with Cuban tradition, even if these elements are not easy to see at first glance. For example, in the work “Roberto”, the young man depicted in profile with a black leather jacket, the texture of the pink background reminds of the tiles and floors of the typical Cuban apartments, an element which often recurs in the artist portraits..

Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez. Let Me In. Installation view at Vista Project Space. Photo Credit @Paolo Petrignani

Any Place But Here, 2021

Oil on canvas

Cm 90 x 111,76

SOLD

In Any Place but here, the figure is sitting on a wooden box symbolizing the empty crates of food at a Havana market, representing the lack of food in Cuba. The girl sitting on the wooden crate in an isolated floor also represents a wooden boat which is the means of escaping the island by any means necessary. The background colors of red white and blue are also symbols of the Cuban flag. Her face is in agony as she hopes for something better.

The Pianist, 2021. Oil on canvas. Sold

Prayer, 2021

Oil on canvas

Cm 40,64 x 40,64

SOLD

Felix and Luis, 2021

Oil on canvas

Cm 50 x 50

Price on request

Roberto, 2021

Oil on canvas

81 x 66

SOLD

Let me in is a show about isolation and solitude. The painting are of young artists in isolation during this past year in Havana Cuba. Each paining is a unique world in which subject is immersed in. Engaged in their own mind, the isolation brings forth deep thoughts about life and existence. The year and a half long quarantine of Havana and the entire world has its effects on everyones mental health, that is not always accounted for in the impact of The pandemic. The Pianist dives deep into the dark and religious depths of the subject, using chiaroscuro and other renaissance techniques to dim the light of the painting, while the religious image shines through. In Roberto, the classical colonial tiles of Havana are the backdrop of the painting as the subject turns away from the audience. In Any Place But Here, the figure is sitting on a wooden box symbolizing the empty crates of food at a Havana market, representing the lack of food in Cuba. The girl sitting on the wooden crate in an isolated floor also represents a wooden boat which is the means of escaping the island by any means necessary. The background colors of red white and blue are also symbols of the Cuban flag. Her face is in agony as she hopes for something better. Prayer hands is a painting of hope, that things will get better in Cuba and the rest of the world. The bracelets on her wrists are representative of the Cuban Yoruba religion, more specifically the goddess Oshun”.

Gabriel Alejandro Sanchez

Cannibalism, 2021

Oil on canvas

Cm 55 x 45

SOLD

There is no Way Out, 2021

Oil on canvas

Cm 66 x 81

SOLD

 

(All prices are + VAt for EU buyers)