Art Brut is a term coined by Jean Dubuffet in 1945 to describe, from an academic standpoint, the production of people without artistic training and whose unique personalities are reflected in their works.

 

Funding to promote this art form only exists in more developed countries. Luckily, in Cuba we have the Riera Studio, which in a very short time has taken very solid steps and today for the first time in history it gathers together three prominent Cuban Art Brut artists, each with their very own ways of creating. Lien (b. 1988) gives us her graphemes, which are compounded harmonically and full of love for her family. Darien (b. 1984), who has overcome severe health issues several times, shows us the artistic representation of the dream-like world where his mother submerged him, through the magic of stories. Roberto (b. 1961) exhibits his world of colors with a very particular perspective, reaching the threshold of ultramodern 3D.

 

In a globalized world where often the first thing you do when evaluating an artwork is to decide whether it has commercial value, Art Brut moves in a totally different direction. These artists are only spurred to create by the need they feel to find a communication channel with the surrounding environment. None of them are able to put a price on their works, or to enter a bidding auction. They are not even aware of abstract concepts like money, markets, and economic welfare.

 

How wonderful it would be if each of the artists Samuel Riera has brought together in a single exhibition today were able to tell us what they think about each other’s work. Sadly, though perhaps they could fulfill this task, we would be the ones who could not decipher the messages they would show us through babbling, visual codes, or by using lines and colors. That would only prove once again how imperfect those humans are, who consider themselves ‘normal.’

 

Marcelino Feal Suarez, doctor in internal medicine and writer