We come from La Aurora (Exhibition by the Cuban Artist Michel Mirabal)

With "We come from La Aurora", the internationally acclaimed Cuban artist Michel Mirabal, debuts in the Midwest, specifically in Kansas City. His exhibit will take us through Michel's world, reflected in several pieces inspired by his previous series and, the relationship between Kansas City and his Cuban roots.

Michel Mirabal, born in La Aurora solar (Havana's solar = similar to the PJ New York collective housing), has managed to make his way in life through art, despite coming from a marginal neighborhood and from a very low-income family.

Michel's work has been included in several private and public collections around the world. He has created 12 series over his career, being the Serie Banderas (The Series Flags), with his thought-provoking paintings of flags, the one that has given him more international recognition.  (https://www.michelmirabalestudios.com/).

His art comes in the shape of drawings, painting, photography, and mixed media pieces. He uses elements such as rice, beans, petals, and barbed wire as metaphors in his art. 

His work is internationally applauded for its ability to express both the beautiful and harsh sides of our global reality. Its resilience resonates all over the world.

Michel’s work has been purchased by world leaders, CEOs, celebrities, and many others lucky enough to be called "Mirabal collectors", between them we can name: King of Spain (Felipe VI), Gabriel García Márquez, Barack Obama, Muhammad Alí, and more...

Michel Mirabal is a graduate of Visual Arts from the Fine Arts National Academy San Alejandro in 1996 (Cuba). He also studied in New York with the Rockefeller Scholarship in 1997 and holds a specialized degree in Industrial Design from the High Institute of Design in Havana. Michel started his career as a scenery painter for the Cuban National Ballet Company and in the Production Department of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC). 

In 2016 he opened his own studio “Finca Calunga”, where he said, "his dream became a reality". Finca Calunga became the home of Michel's art, and a community project teaching children about art and supporting low-income families, elders, and orphaned children in Havana, Cuba.

Michel's achievements have recently gotten the attention of the major producer Netflix, who will be producing a TV Show about his life and career.

“I know that there are people who would like to use art to escape from reality, but that is not my case. I take you reflectively into reality because you have to keep your feet on the ground. I think it's great that there are things that decorate your surroundings, but I decorate with reality..." Michel Mirabal

More information at https://www.cubanisms.org/cuban-artist-michel-mirabal/

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We would like to thank the sponsors that have made Michel Mirabal's visit to Kansas City possible:

• Peregrine Honig
• Bob & Laureen Caffarelli
• Tim Cook & Family
• Jimmy & Cortney Edwards
• Tom & Molly Freeman
• Sandy & Christine Kemper
• Kurt Van Keppel & Family
• Doug and Brenda Walters (Walter's Investments, LLC)
• Artist & Craftsman Supply
• Airriva (Unique Boutique Lodging)

We would also like to thank Linda Lighton, Consuelo Cruz and Steve Paul for their tremendous support.

Host or Publisher Cubanisms