The National Arts Club & ArtOnCuba Present Carlos Quintana IMAGES OF A PLACE THAT NEVER EXISTED through 5/30

The National Arts Club and its Fine Arts Committee, in collaboration with ArtOnCuba, will celebrate one of Cuba's most prominent artists, Carlos Quintana with a collection of brand new paintings at the gallery between April 27th and May 30th. The free exhibition, 'Images of a Place that Never Existed' will celebrate its opening with a reception, accessible to the public, on April 29th between 6pm - 8pm, and will be followed up with the Club's prestigious Sunday Salon, that will explore the nation's art on May 17th.

With the recent developments in the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, interest in the country's dynamic artists is growing exponentially.

Quintana's work combines the iconography of Cuba, the East and the West's contemporary and traditional styles, to create large format oil paintings, that present us with a dream like universe of vivid colors and rich textures from which powerful yet poetic figures emerge. Known for his irrepressible energy, Quintana's images are full of metaphoric and humorous gestures, often disturbing, but always seductive.

Carlos Quintana comments: "I understand art as a way of moderate and constant salvation, within the mystery that is life. True art, the one that endures, leaves permanent traces within each of us. Art, and painting in particular, is a daily savior for me; a physical exercise of the soul, of the senses, and of the body I inhabit."

Dianne B. Bernhard , Director of Fine Arts Committees, comments: "Carlos Quintana is one of the most interesting Cuban artists there is. With his combination of Asian, Spanish and South American influences and unique methods of working, his large scale paintings are a joy to look at and examine his influences and themes."

Hosted by Dr. Alex Rosenberg and Leslie Koot, the Sunday Salon entitled Discovering and Valuing Cuban Art will discuss the quality and desirability of Cuban art, the leading talents in this current 'renaissance,' its lasting appeal to experienced collectors, and the problems confronting novice buyers.

The work of Carlos Quintana has been exhibited worldwide with shows in Beijing, Havana, Madrid, Miami and New York. Born in Cuba in 1966, Quintana attended the famed San Alejandro Academy of Art and lived and worked in Madrid for 11 years before returning to Cuba in 2004.

'Images of a Place that Never Existed' marks thefifth installmentof the Fine Arts Committee 2015 program and will provide a compliment to prior exhibitions, including ; 'Charles James: Beneath the Dress,' 'Halsband Portraits,' 'Dali: The Golden Years,' 'Emilia and Ilya Kabakov,' and 'Goya: Los Caprichos.'

Location: The National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NY, NY, 10003

Time : 11am - 5pm Monday through Sunday

Date : April 27th - May 30th 2015

Website : http://www.nationalartsclub.org

Phone number : 212-475-3424

Ticket Costs: Free

Opening Reception: April 29th, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Sunday Salon with Alex Rosenberg and Leslie Koot : May 17th at 2:30pm

Image Credit: Courtesy of the Exhibit