Welancora Gallery is proud to announce CANTO, a solo exhibition featuring new works by Esperanza Cortés (b. 1957), a New York based multidisciplinary artist born in Colombia. The exhibition contains new paintings in encaustic and acrylic with sculptural elements of glazed ceramic and clay, and two large sculpture works. This exhibition will be on view from September 6 to October 3, 2024, with an opening reception on Friday, September 6 from 6-9pm.
The show’s title, CANTO, directly translates to ‘song’ or ‘chant’ and was inspired by Cortés’ musical background; she grew up hearing her father sing and she herself practiced the art of Afro-Latin dance for many years. This dance form does not take on traditional choreography, rather, a circle of reactions between the percussionist and the dancer creates the performance. Similarly, un canto as a chant becomes a spontaneous reaction to life and society. As such, Cortés’ work is that same reaction to the present, seeking to use sacred space and fragments of histories as departure points to investigate issues of colonialism and its presence felt today. Themes of memory, identity, nature, conflict, survival, and resilience permeate the works, examining the extent to which a consciousness—national or personal—defines itself through the opposing force of transcultural experiences.
