81C presents a new solo fine art exhibition opening Saturday in historic Charlotte Amalie.
Flexingx – La Puerta Borrosa by Ponce-based painter Nel Figueroa features a prominent full-scale exhibition of paintings, curated and arranged for 81C’s summer season of art and events.
Figueroa delivers a disruptive and humorous show of works, with influences ranging from graffiti, urban street art, colonial musings, culminating in a hallucinogenic homage to Caribbean culture, identity, and creativity.
Art opening reception hours are 5-10 p.m. on Saturday with artist Nel Figueroa on location at 81C’s main gallery.
This show is sponsored in part by The Pink Palm Hotel and Viya.
SHOW DESCRIPTION:
Nel Figueroa’s Flexingx – La Puerta Borrosa is a joyous, immensely unique exhibition of work that strikes the nucleus of Caribbean identity through a glitched-out lens of nostalgia, wonderment, and satire. The artist incorporates the familiar icons of fruit, birds, and anatomy amongst scenes of nature, industry, and cultural phenomenon. Flexingx – La Puerta Borrosa is an invigorating journey into the surreal gateways of one of Puerto Rico’s most intriguing creative minds.
-The Curators, 81C
ARTIST STATEMENT
Through my work, I explore the relationships between essence, presence, time, and memory. I employ enamel paint and pigment dust to present subjects in a transitional state, either appearing or disappearing. By depicting domesticated animals, flowers, and fruits with vivid colors, I seek to build upon the tradition of still-life paintings of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Occasionally, I utilize elements from graffiti culture, such as shines and bubble letters, to emphasize the idea of inevitable modifications suffered by memories due to the passage of time.
ARTIST BIO
Nelson “NEL” Figueroa, b. 1974.
During his childhood, he began drawing superheroes from the comics he used to read. By the early 90s, he got involved in the graffiti and Hip-Hop world. By then, he continued his journey by painting in the streets while living in the Bronx in the city of New York. He studied his high school years at the Dr. Alfredo M. Aguayo, in Ponce’s coastal area, where he took art courses from a well-known art teacher, Mr. Franky Pérez whom noticed Nelson’s talent and in turn motivated him to continue to both draw and paint. He began his BA studies at the Pontifical Catholic University in Ponce, majoring in Social Work, but found the art world much more fulfilling. In turn, he enrolled in the School of Visual Arts at the Cultural Institute of Puerto Rico in 2003. During his second year at the university, he met his peer and later close friend David Zayas, who showed him a much broader perspective about the arts. Later Mr. Andrés Marrero, both founder and owner of “Galerías Prinardi”, saw Nelson’s paintings and promoted his work, achieving recognition among well-known art collectors who met and acquired some of his art pieces. He graduated in 2009 with various awards from the Department of Painting and Drawing from the School of Visual Arts. Currently, Mr. Nelson Figueroa is pursuing his MFA at the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico.
EVENT DETAILS
Full scale exhibition opening night at 81C’s main gallery
Nel Figueroa – Flexingx, La Puerta Borrosa
Opening party – Saturday from 5-10 p.m.
Location: 81C / historic Charlotte Amalie
Strand Gade between Waterfront and Main St.
Cash bar plus complimentary drinks.
Access: Admission is free and open to the public. Parking is available on the Waterfront just west of Moe’s grocery store. 81C is a one-block walk towards Market Square. Please note that parking is not available directly across from 81C.
DURATION OF EXHIBITION:
Flexingx by Nel Figueroa will be on view through September 2024 in 81C’s main gallery. The gallery is open to the public, free of charge, from 5-8 p.m. on weekdays. Private guided tours are also available by appointment. Youth and student groups are encouraged to visit in collaboration 81C Arts. Contact via email for inquiries: 81cvirginislands@gmail.com
ABOUT 81C
81C is an event venue, art gallery, coffee + wine bar, and luxury loft space located in historic downtown Charlotte Amalie. The location is available for private and public pop-up event rentals and rotates art exhibitions every four-six weeks.
81C offers wine tastings, historic walking tours, and other services. The 81C Coffee + Wine Bar and the 81C Gallery are open Mon-Fri 5-8PM. The space was created by Zack Zook and opened in 2020. 81C Arts is a non-profit art and education that facilitates all of 81C’s community art programs. Visit linktr.ee/81cvi 81CVI.com and 81CVI.org for more info.
Contact:
Art Sales: Joseph Hewes 340-244-5056
Curatorial / publicity: Zack Zook 917-327-1561
Youth outreach / education: Dyonna Potter 929-215-4129
Website: linktr.ee/81cvi
Instagram and Facebook: @81CVI
Telephone 340-203-4030
