Orlando Hernandez `Without Masks`Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art. The Van Christierson Collection

Orlando Hernandez "Without Masks"Contemporary Afro-Cuban Art. The Van Christierson Collection

For Without Masks, Hernández has curated a powerful collection of artworks representing a cross-section of Afro-Cuban artistsfrom the internationally renowned to street and folk artists. The exhibition features 31 artists showing a total of 85 works spanning a range of media, including painting on canvas and wood, watercolour, drawing, printing (xylography, silk-screen, calligraphy), collage, patchwork, installation, soft-sculpture, photography, video-installation and video art. 

All the works in the exhibition are drawn from the von Christierson Collection. Chris and Marina von Christierson, themselves South African, first visited Cuba in 2007 and were drawn to the country and its art. During this visit they met Orlando Hernández and established a collaboration with him to develop a collection of Afro-Cuban art that would show the multiple imprints of Africa in Cuba's artistic culture. The collection was first exhibited at the Johannesburg Art Gallery in 2010 during the FIFA World Cup.