CAMAGÜEY – Meeting Eduardo Rosales Ruiz in his gallery on San Juan de Dios Street or enjoying his company guarantees an experience far from ordinary. Surrounded by his works, amidst the unmistakable aroma of coffee used as pigment and the texture of cassava turned into canvas, one realizes they are in the presence of something unique. Rosales does not merely paint; he tells stories, rescues memories, and invites us to explore our senses.

For the staff of Adelante newspaper, hosting an exhibition like Kankan is always a reason for celebration, as Rosales has established himself as a creator deeply connected to Cuba's cultural and spiritual roots.

The opening featured poet Jesús Zamora and singer-songwriter Antonio Batista.

The exhibition's title, inspired by an African patakí (sacred story), underscores the importance of coexistence and survival, urging reflection on our relationship with Mother Earth by highlighting concepts such as respect for natural resources and harmony with the environment.

In Kankan, we find references to Yukahú, the Taíno deity of fertility, and pictograms reimagined on materials such as jute, palm fronds, and other native elements. The exhibition also includes an interactive performance, such as the practice of Obi, designed to connect the audience with the spirituality that inspires the artwork.

The exhibition’s inauguration was the Adelante newspaper staff’s tribute to December 14th, the Day of the Culture Worker.

The exhibition employs native materials crafted to provoke reflection on Cuban identity and national symbols. Each piece combines profound respect for cultural origins with an innovative museographic vision, proposing new ways to experience art and tradition. In doing so, it challenges traditional curatorial paradigms.

Adelante director Daicar Saladrigas shared postcards from Nazario Salazar, featuring miniature art from the Colibrí project, with journalist Olga Lilia Vilató and administrator Alina Rodríguez upon their retirement.

At Adelante, we are grateful for Rosales’s friendship and collaboration. We feel honored to close the year with such a meaningful project, as Kankan reconnects us with our roots and inspires us to reflect on our place in the world.

Rosales has developed several personal and collective projects for the Adelante gallery, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025 as an alternative gallery space named Nicolás Guillén.

Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez