ExhibitionFebruary 14, 2025
Antonia Eiriz: In the Eye of the Sibyl
The comprehensive exhibition, curated by art critic and curator Janet Batet, will showcase a carefully selected array of Antonia Eiriz artworks from the 1960s to the 1990s. This show provides a glimpse into the artistic journey of one of Cuba’s most groundbreaking and controversial artists.
Entitled "In the Eye of the Sibyl," the exhibition draws inspiration from Batet’s essay, which frames Eiriz as an oracle-like figure whose work critically disrupts and bears witness to the oppressive circumstances of her time. Similar to the mythological Sibyl, whose foresight revealed unsettling clarity, Eiriz's art acts as both a reflection and a warning, revealing the disillusionment, repression, and violence that often contradicted the ideals of the revolutionary narrative of her time. As curator Janet Batet notes, "Eiriz's work is not only a mirror of her own trauma but also a collective wound that resonates with many Cuban and diasporic voices.”
Born in Havana in 1929 and passing away in Miami in 1995, Antonia Eiriz studied at the prestigious San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts. Though she was connected to the group Los Once, she pursued a figurative style in her art. Her expressionist works are imbued with significant ideological, religious, and social commentary. The arrival of the Cuban Revolution prompted a shift in artistic expression, where those who did not embrace the revolutionary ideals were deemed disaffected. As a response, Eiriz ceased painting and exhibiting in the late 1960s, instead focusing on teaching the papier-mâché technique within her community.
"In the Eye of the Sibyl" will feature significant examples of Eiriz's work on both paper and canvas, along with four notable papier-mâché heads created for theater productions, all sourced from prominent Miami collections. Additionally, the exhibition will highlight her contributions as an educator in the Juanelo community through various works, photographs by Abigail García Fayad capturing Eiriz’s legacy, and a documentary by René Azcuy detailing the 1991 reopening of the “Reencuentro” exhibition at the Galiano Gallery, which marked the first display of Eiriz's work in over two decades.
This carefully curated exhibition allows rediscovering an artist whose powerful and compelling creations have navigated the persistent censorship imposed by the Cuban government and cultural representatives since the 1960s.
For further information, visit: https://thecuban.org/antonia-eiriz-in-the-eye-of-the-sibylin-the-eye-of-the-sibyl
Entitled "In the Eye of the Sibyl," the exhibition draws inspiration from Batet’s essay, which frames Eiriz as an oracle-like figure whose work critically disrupts and bears witness to the oppressive circumstances of her time. Similar to the mythological Sibyl, whose foresight revealed unsettling clarity, Eiriz's art acts as both a reflection and a warning, revealing the disillusionment, repression, and violence that often contradicted the ideals of the revolutionary narrative of her time. As curator Janet Batet notes, "Eiriz's work is not only a mirror of her own trauma but also a collective wound that resonates with many Cuban and diasporic voices.”
Born in Havana in 1929 and passing away in Miami in 1995, Antonia Eiriz studied at the prestigious San Alejandro Academy of Fine Arts. Though she was connected to the group Los Once, she pursued a figurative style in her art. Her expressionist works are imbued with significant ideological, religious, and social commentary. The arrival of the Cuban Revolution prompted a shift in artistic expression, where those who did not embrace the revolutionary ideals were deemed disaffected. As a response, Eiriz ceased painting and exhibiting in the late 1960s, instead focusing on teaching the papier-mâché technique within her community.
"In the Eye of the Sibyl" will feature significant examples of Eiriz's work on both paper and canvas, along with four notable papier-mâché heads created for theater productions, all sourced from prominent Miami collections. Additionally, the exhibition will highlight her contributions as an educator in the Juanelo community through various works, photographs by Abigail García Fayad capturing Eiriz’s legacy, and a documentary by René Azcuy detailing the 1991 reopening of the “Reencuentro” exhibition at the Galiano Gallery, which marked the first display of Eiriz's work in over two decades.
This carefully curated exhibition allows rediscovering an artist whose powerful and compelling creations have navigated the persistent censorship imposed by the Cuban government and cultural representatives since the 1960s.
For further information, visit: https://thecuban.org/antonia-eiriz-in-the-eye-of-the-sibylin-the-eye-of-the-sibyl
