"You could say that the bad weather in Germany provoked the beginning of this project. I have always lived in luminous cities: Valencia, Algiers, Boston and Washington, in which the sky shone blue; in Venice, if it was gray, I always seemed to see light everywhere.
Germany came after. I learnt to live with rain and the absence of light. In conversations with friends, it was inevitable to fantasize about the sun, heat and good weather, and that is how Anja and I began to talk about Cuba. The dream of visiting the island, and travel together. She, a photographer, would go with her camera. I would draw. At the time we had planned to go the Havana, destiny seemed to have it's way, while I started packing boxes, yet again, to return back home.
Anja went alone and photographed Havana for me, for her, for both. She took photos of the city, of it's places and most importantly, its people. And then went back not once, but four times more: impressed, her soul touched and transformed. I have since then been painting that Havana which Anja gave to me. After each visit, she would bring back 600/700 photos which I made my own. I appropriated myself of the landscapes, paths, light and above all, people - Cubans that Anja met, with whom she talked with, and heard sing. That has been my world for the past two years. With them, I have lived daily in my studio. And for them, I have painted."
Germany came after. I learnt to live with rain and the absence of light. In conversations with friends, it was inevitable to fantasize about the sun, heat and good weather, and that is how Anja and I began to talk about Cuba. The dream of visiting the island, and travel together. She, a photographer, would go with her camera. I would draw. At the time we had planned to go the Havana, destiny seemed to have it's way, while I started packing boxes, yet again, to return back home.
Anja went alone and photographed Havana for me, for her, for both. She took photos of the city, of it's places and most importantly, its people. And then went back not once, but four times more: impressed, her soul touched and transformed. I have since then been painting that Havana which Anja gave to me. After each visit, she would bring back 600/700 photos which I made my own. I appropriated myself of the landscapes, paths, light and above all, people - Cubans that Anja met, with whom she talked with, and heard sing. That has been my world for the past two years. With them, I have lived daily in my studio. And for them, I have painted."