Rafael Soriano: The Artist as Mystic, at the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum

Cuban painter Rafael Soriano (1920–2015) was a master of geometric abstraction; his work resonated with international artists of Latin American like Roberto Matta, Rufino Tamayo, and Wifredo Lam. As a result of the Revolution in Cuba, in 1962 Soriano immigrated to the United States. An unprecedented examination of his life's work, this exhibition focuses on the multiple influences that nurtured a style where, in his words, "the intimate and the cosmic converge." Featuring more than ninety paintings, pastels, and drawings from the Rafael Soriano Family Collection, as well as other institutions and private collections, The Artist as Mystic, begins with Soriano's works in the Cuban geometric abstract style. It then moves to his transitional, experimental paintings from the 1960s and 1970s reminiscent of surrealist biomorphism. The exhibition concludes with luminous, mystical imagery in paintings from Soriano's mature period. Organized by the McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College in collaboration with the Rafael Soriano Foundation, the exhibition is curated by Elizabeth Thompson Goizueta, a faculty member in Boston College's Department of Romance Languages & Literatures. Major support was provided by Boston College and the Patrons of the McMullen Museum. The accompanying exhibition catalogue is published by the McMullen Museum and edited by Elizabeth Thompson Goizueta.