Firetti Contemporary features works of Reynier Llanes in ‘Reverie’ show
- Last updated: April 16, 2025 | 10:18
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Firetti Contemporary, the gallery where art and creative concepts align from the region and beyond, is hosting Reverie, the Middle Eastern debut of acclaimed Cuban-American artist Reynier Llanes (Apr. 14 – June 14). Curated by Celine Azem, the exhibition showcases works from Llanes’s celebrated series, The Poet, where themes of self-reflection, memory and storytelling, unfold through pictorial representation. The show draws inspiration – and gets its title - from the philosophy of “reverie”, as articulated by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in The Poetics of Reverie. Bachelard insisted that reverie is not a mental vacuum, but actually indicated an abundance of spirit.
For Bachelard, reverie was a state of contemplation where imagination and memory merged to reveal truths about the self and the world. Llanes embodies this vision, creating works that act as gateways to introspection, with reality and reflection playing major roles. Emotions and memories surface in his works, with the compositions sharing personal and universal qualities. Reverie, according to the artist, is not about escaping life’s struggles but about reinterpreting them, in a space where emotions, memories and aspirations, interlink.
At the heart of Reverie is The Poet, an enigmatic figure observing the fleeting yet profound moments of life — self-discovery, nostalgia, love, and loss. Suspended between memory and imagination, The Poet exists in a state of perpetual contemplation. Through delicate line-work and atmospheric compositions, Llanes invites viewers into a zone of reflection and thought, where the boundaries between past and present, real and imagined, what was and what is, are blurred. He has the ability to balance melancholy and beauty, hardship and hope, loss and gain, which creates a tragic yet rewarding experience.
Some of the works in The Poet series bridge ancient echoes and contemporary realities, projecting both personal and generic human experiences. “There is a perspective in storytelling that I love: the more personal a story is, the more it connects with people,” Llanes has said. He presents a poignant piece titled Place dedicated to the wars and conflicts around the world, endowing their stark realities with poetic sensitivity. Solar is a luminous composition with a brighter palette, symbolising renewal and the pursuit of beauty amid adversity. A radiant figure emerges from an ocean of gold, dissolving into the surrounding texture. The canvas radiates warmth as if The Poet has merged with the sun itself, introducing a transcendental element.
In Stellar, The Poet is suspended in the vastness of the cosmos, surrounded by an expanse of celestial fragments. The golden hues of the figure is surrounded by cosmic dust, evoking humanity’s search for meaning among the stars. Telephone juxtaposes time past and present, depicting a millennial woman leaning against an old telephone booth, while The Poet — ghostly and translucent — stands alert on the opposite side. The contrast between their worlds is palpable; the work explores connection, distance, and the silent conversations between past and present.
Other works further examine solitude, nostalgia and transformation. In The Portal, a spectral figure steps through a rainbow entering the sea, crossing from one realm into another, dissolving in light and colour, suggesting the beauty of the unknown. Thoughts sees The Poet in deep contemplation, reminiscent of Rodin’s The Thinker, yet rendered in wavy translucency. The figure merges with its surroundings, as though thinking itself was eroding the boundaries of the physical world.
Another work, Eve, is set against a Cuban porch, where The Poets appear as ethereal figures caught in an intimate, fleeting moment. The painting is a tie-up of reality and memory, since it depicts Llanes’s personal connection to Cuba. The piece incorporates familiar imagery — weathered facades, warm streetlights and everyday architecture — grounding dreamlike storytelling in tangible reality.
Beyond personal and cultural narratives, Llanes also engages with contemporary discussions on artificial intelligence, consciousness and immortality. As technology advances and raises questions about the legacy of human memory beyond physical existence, The Poet serves as a metaphor for the soul — an eternal essence that infinitely accumulates knowledge and experience, beyond time and space.
Just as Reverie allows the mind to journey the past, present, and imagined futures, The Poet becomes a keeper of collective memory and the continuously evolving human experience. “Time present and time past/Are both perhaps present in time future,/And time future contained in time past.” – T. S. Eliot. Reynier Llanes (b. 1985, Pinar del Rio, Cuba) uses his art to delve into topics steeped in folklore, organically linked to the Cuban landscape. He often portrays this landscape with a magical lens, offering new interpretations. Conceptually, his works craft fables and allegories.
He has relocated to the United States, to its South, where he has been hailed as one of the “New Superstars of Southern Art”. Llanes’s art is deeply influenced by the Southern culture of the USA. In addition to his artistic pursuits, he is an avid art collector, focusing on works by Cuban artists, particularly those hailing from his native province of Pinar del Rio. The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art, Florida, has noted that his “symbolist narrative paintings and mixed media works underline not merely his immense talents as a realist, but also his ability to conjure alternate yet convincing realities of his own imagination”, adding that the artist’s “memories of his roots in Cuba intertwine with his mystical, audience-engaging visions of the present and future.” Llanes’s art has found permanent homes in many reputed museums in the United States.