Pan American Art Projects is pleased to present Jorge Rios’s third solo exhibition at the gallery titled “for my next trick…” The show will include paintings made in the last two years. This series of works continues his investigation of visual perception, painting conventions and the process of creation.
Rios is inspired by how fundamental opposites find synthesis in the experience of the work of art, which for him is both artifice (construction, illusion, deception) and truth (actuality, emotion, transformation) simultaneously.
In the works on view, gestural brushstrokes, drips, and stains coexist with graphic grids, stripes and flat color fields. These different modes of painting reference historically divergent approaches to abstraction, such as spontaneity versus intentionality, fast and slow mark-making and accident vis-a-vis control. This is a way for the artist to blur the line between aesthetic trickery and artistic sincerity.
I don’t have a clear sense of my own personality. That’s why I privilege stylistic diversity over identity and recognizability. My work exists in a protoplasmic state—a mirror on which different artistic movements and pictorial attitudes coexist. The only constant throughout my career is the fact that I’m perpetually committed to both: the history and practice of painting.
Pan American Art Projects is pleased to announce Lux Arcana, a solo show by Miami-based artist Carlos Estévez, where light becomes a symbolic resource to unveil the complex narratives of hidden knowledge.
Curated by Claudia Taboada, the exhibition visually engages the viewer through the neologisms created by the artist in his sculptural objects, paintings, and drawings. Estévez’s work resonates with themes present in literary and philosophical texts that explore the pursuit of “inner light” or “hidden illumination.” References such as Dante Alighieri’s
“The Divine Comedy,” where light guides the protagonist towards the revelation of transcendental truths, and hermetic and alchemical literature, with its emphasis on light and esoteric knowledge, exemplify how light has been symbolically used to explore the unknown and the mysterious.
The hybrid composition of the works, their interrelationships, and the taxonomic definitions turn the exhibition into a grand wunderkammer or cabinet of curiosities. The phrase “lux arcana,” derived from Latin, can be interpreted as hidden knowledge, esoteric wisdom, or deep truths that are not immediately visible but lie beneath the hermeneutics of the artwork.
Pan American Art Projects is pleased to announce Poetic Incongruities, a solo exhibition by Cuban artist Luis Cruz Azaceta. This exhibition will showcase a collection of Azaceta’s most compelling works, capturing the essence of his thought-provoking artistic journey. Luis Cruz Azaceta, a celebrated Cuban-American artist, is renowned for his powerful and emotive art that explores themes of exile, displacement, and identity. “Poetic Incongruities” brings together a selection of his paintings, drawings, and mixed-media works that highlight the contradictions and complexities of the human condition. Azaceta’s work is characterized by its vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and poignant subject matter. His art often addresses social and political issues, reflecting his own experiences as an exile and the broader human struggle for freedom and dignity.
Through his unique visual language, Azaceta creates a space where beauty and brutality coexist, inviting viewers to engage with the incongruities of life. Poetic Incongruities will feature key works from his extensive career, including pieces from his well-known series on the Cuban diaspora, as well as newer works that break in visuality but continue to explore themes of conflict and survival. Azaceta’s distinctive use of color often evokes the SMPTE color bars of old televisions, creating a striking visual incongruity. These bright, joyful hues create a striking contrast with the often controversial and somber subjects he addresses. This juxtaposition not only captures the viewer’s attention but also deepens the impact of his commentary on societal issues, making the clash between form and content a powerful tool in his artistic expression.
Pan American Art Projects is pleased to announce The Anatomy Lesson, a solo exhibition by Miami-based artist Pavel Acosta. This show features a new body of work in dialogue with Acosta’s signature technique of “stolen paintings,” while still exploring appropriation, materiality, and cultural commentary. Acosta, known for his innovative approach to reinterpreting masterpieces, deepens into the aesthetic, symbolic, and historical significance of institutional walls, transforming them into artistic subjects.
The title of the show is inspired by Rembrandt’s famous painting, “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.” Acosta’s “stolen” piece, “The Anatomy Lesson,” is a focal point around which other ideas revolve. Rembrandt’s work depicts the autopsy of the criminal Aris Kindt, also known as Adriaan Adriaanszoon, who was sentenced to death for armed robbery. Acosta brings to us a metaphorical autopsy—a kind of artistic medical examination—where he critically reflects on his own process as an artist, and the exhibition functions as a self-portrait. He challenges viewers to dissect the anatomy of art itself—its creation, value, and the structures that sustain it.
The piece “The Anatomy Lesson,” contrasts the gestural energy and the raw materials that Acosta introduces in a totally new body of work. The artist goes beyond the surface, exposing the inner components of the gallery walls—wooden beams and plaster—which he reorganizes into new artistic compositions with the aid of large layers of wall paint. These elements take on new meanings as he deconstructs and reconstructs them, raising important questions about the relationship between creation and destruction, original and reinterpretation, and past and present. From the meticulous and detailed method to the rough decomposition of the gallery elements, he highlights the fragility and resilience of art and identity, inviting viewers to reconsider how we interact with the spaces and materials that shape our history.
The Anatomy Lesson will be open until December 14, at our Miami Design District space located at 21 NE 39th St. We encourage all visitors to engage with the rich conceptual and material dialogues presented in the show.
Pan American Art Projects was established in 2001 with the mission to exhibit and promote established and emerging artists from North, Central and South America, providing a context for dialogue between the various regions. We represent a strong roster of contemporary artists of the Americas and hold a collection of important works from Cuba, Argentina, the U.S. and the Caribbean. Our programming reflects these complementary arenas providing a comprehensive historical context for contemporary tendencies in the visual arts from these regions.
The gallery was born from the personal collection of our owner, Robert Borlenghi, who as a founding member of MOCA Los Angeles made his first trip to Haiti in 1990 and found many great artists that were relatively unknown to collectors in the U.S. He made it his mission to collect and exhibit underrepresented artists from Haiti, Jamaica and later Cuba. This mission then transferred to our gallery when we opened in Dallas in 2001, when we began adding actively represented artists from North and South America.
Open to all visitors from 11—4 pm. Progressive Art Brunch brings together participating galleries several Sundays throughout the year. The event highlights the current programming at each venue and enables visitors a more intimate look at the exhibitions on view.
Sign-up for our mailing list.
