Materials: Acrylic, Pastels, Markers, Colored Pencils, Pencil, Paper and Fabric; Dimensions: 193 x 246 cm
The Last Rain is inspired by a photo of mambises posing for the camera moments before a deadly ambush.
José Manuel Mesías (born José Manuel Mesías Jorge on June 19, 1990 in La Habana, Cuba) is a Cuban artist specializing in painting, drawing, installation and video. Mesías from very young age, since 1998 to 2000, studied painting at the José de Luz y Caballero Center in Havana, and then drawing at the Santa Clara Convent, in Havana, from 2001 to 2003 winning several awards as a student. In 2003 studied academic drawing and painting until he entered the National Academy of Fine Arts San Alejandro where he studied sculpture from 2005 to 2009. His first solo exhibition Demon Days at the Academy, in 2009, showed a selection of his portrait works and “Silent Paintings” series. After graduating he became professor of academic drawing at the Culture House in his home town Old Havana from 2009 to 2012. In 2012 he became part of the Independent Creators Association of Cuba. One of his most important individual projects was the exhibition The Origin of Symmetry at Havana’s Center for Art and Design in March of 2012. Among his most relevant collective exhibitions are “Cuban Video” in 2010, at the Shelley & Donald Rubin Collection, 8th Floor Space, New York, USA; “I can reed now” in 2011, at The Contemporary Art Center Wifredo Lam in Havana; “Escaping with the landscape” in 2012, at the 11th Havana Biennial, at Havana’s Center for Art and Design; “Cuban Video” this year at the MoCA in Cleveland, USA; and “The Order Of All Things” at Galiano Gallery in Havana. At this past Havana Biennial (May-June 2014)was showed in a series of group exhibitions, part the most recent work and project in progress such as “The singing birds session” project at the exhibition No Craft No Benefict and “The Agramonte Works”. He lives and works in Havana, Cuba.
