The revolution of ideas and values is the fundamental foundation of Cuba’s modern and contemporary culture—an example set within the Americas that has resonated with the histories, oppressions, struggles and resistances of many countries within this region. Revolution requires not only an acknowledgment of past actions and circumstances, but also a reflection about the future and the ways that we will collectively survive and flourish. Certainly, the paintings of Thiago Martins de Melo contemplate the failures of the past and the possibilities that lie ahead of us, utilizing a dream-like expressionistic style that interfaces with the truth of the here and now.

The works of Thiago Martins de Melo are essays on coloniality, and they deconstruct all the cultural symbols imposed by the geopolitics of power. His paintings aim to establish a narrative – yet another of the many histories of the Americas. Martins de Melo has the strength of the Venetian masters, the formal freedom of the Italian trans-avant-garde, and the virulence of the German neo-expressionists. His paintings express the chaos in which we live: wars, social inequality and climate disasters, among countless others.

Each of his brushstrokes exudes the contagion of his energy, emanating from a language that becomes a burst of ideas. This artist turns his work into a manifesto of living, into a clear sociopolitical positioning in the face of the world that surrounds us. Martins de Melo knows that art does not change reality; however, his attitude is not conformist. He is committed, beyond what the institutions that legitimize creation can expect. He does not remain passive; his head turns to the rhythm of his brush like that chronicler who sings of human salvation above all things. His oil paintings are contemporary tattoos that form the fabric and define the reach of his body and soul.

Much like history itself, Martins de Melo’s paintings are accumulations of sheer pain and joy, layered upon one another in ways that showcase a surface that will not be quiet. Vibrant colors, violent brushstrokes, intricate forms and dream-like allusions all compete for the viewer’s attention in swirling flashes of activity. Gazes stare from the depths of our collective past, prompting the spectator to act, to repair damage, to acknowledge wrongdoing, to magnify the voices of those who cannot speak for themselves. His works serve as cries of liberty, cries that unite the Americas in terms of their histories, experiences and relationships with spirituality, indigenous cultures and migrations.

This new series of paintings, sketches and video is the culmination of over five years of work. With the help of Havana’s Unpack Studio, a residency organized by Omar Estrada and Dannys Montes de Oca, Thiago Martins de Melo was able to come from Brazil and paint within a culture and community with which he feels solidarity and conceptual alignment. Relying on a collaboration between a Cuban curator and institution, a United States curator and a Brazilian artist, this exhibition illustrates the power of working together in the Americas and seeking those ideas that, over time, have brought us together in common purpose.