Artist Statement
These oil paintings are part of a series that will eventually expand. They are images that came to my mind after listening to "Te Venero," a song by the Catalan artist Rosalia, part of her first album entitled Los Angeles (2017), in which death is the predominant theme. The lyrics are composed of three re-versions of the work of various authors from the past. By putting these three songs together, Rosalia manages to create a beautiful story of love, death and grief. The tender voice of the singer and the soft guitar of Raül Refree, a Spanish musician, captured my attention immediately.

From what I could analyze from the lyrics, the story is about a man who goes to Cuba in search of his fortune, there he meets a woman and they both fall strongly in love. The song closes with the man visiting the tomb of his beloved, his true fortune, where he places a flower as proof of his love. My vision was to illustrate this story, using a lot of symbolism, and change the characters to two men, because it comes from my own experiences. In my paintings, I share with the observer my feelings and my story using this song as a reference. This verse, which is originally by the Spanish flamenco singer Niño de la Huerta, is where these six images came from: 

But to Cuba I left
To prove my fortune
Without a single hope
and in Cuba I found her
and in giving her my love
she loved me like no other

Each painting is a different line of the lyrics. By not including every line in the painting, I am giving the viewer the freedom to interpret the images in their own way, based on their personal experiences. The landscapes are based on my country of origin, Puerto Rico, another element that changes to make me feel even more identified with the story. As artists we have the power to re-imagine a story or lyric in order to identify, understand and empathize, it is something beautiful.

LGBTQ+ Statement
Gradually people in the LGBTQ community are being recognized and considered in many ways, which is a great thing despite the difficulties. An exhibition like this is a good way to make ourselves be known, to expose our experiences, tell our stories, meet more people in the community and make those who are not at all comfortable feel comfortable. It is also a way to motivate others like us out there not to be afraid, to be sure of themselves, to realize that we are together and support each other.