"KCHO", ALEXIS LEYVA (Isla de Pinos, Nueva Gerona, Cuba, 1970).

"KCHO", ALEXIS LEYVA (Isla de Pinos, Nueva Gerona, Cuba, 1970). Belonging to the series "Bola de Churre", 2019. Oil and charcoal on linen. Unframed. Signed in the lower left corner. Attached certificate of authenticity issued by the artist. Measurements: 200 x 212 cm. The sea and the rafters are always present in Kcho's work. In this large oil painting, as in his sculptures and installations, he refers poetically to the Cuban topography and alludes to the most decisive element of life on the island, the isolation marked by the geographical limit of the water boundary. His work evokes the maritime voyage as an ideal territory for remembrance and nostalgia. Kcho reflects on the phenomenon of migration, a theme from which he creates his scenographies on the journey and which speak of the impossibility of fleeing from our memory, our destiny and our roots. Kcho's work has evolved from the first sculptures of the early nineties, made of woven tree branches, to large-scale installations such as the one presented at the Arsenale at the Venice Biennale in 1999. His work reached international renown after his inclusion in the Havana Biennial in 1994, the year in which he also participated in the exhibition Cocido y crudo (Cooked and Raw) held at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. The sea is always present in Kcho's work. His pieces refer to the Cuban landscape and, therefore, allude to the most decisive element of life on the island, the isolation marked by the geographical limit of the water boundary. His work evokes the maritime voyage as an ideal territory for remembrance and nostalgia. His stranded boats reflect on the phenomenon of migration, a theme from which he creates his scenographies on the journey and which speak of the impossibility of fleeing from our memory, our destiny and our roots.The objects frequently used by the Cuban artist are those he finds on his walks along the seashore and in the streets of Havana, pieces of wood, rope, clothes, glass that he manipulates and assembles to create his sculptures. The handmade character of his pieces is an essential component and refers to the culture of recycling where everything has several uses different from those for which it was originally created.