Carbon, by Serlian Barreto, curated by Claudia Taboda, is a series composed of work produced over the last two years as a homage to his grandfather, who is a life-long producer and exporter of coal in Cuba. Barreto grew up with his grandfather and has in-depth knowledge of the specific procedures to convert organic materials into coal, to later be used as fuel: from gathering raw materials to the characteristics of the ecosystem in which the burning takes place. His paintings resemble a giant notebook depicting this process: what is often overlooked is magnified through his eyes.
Serlian Barreto was born in Cuba and lives and works in the United States. He graduated from the San Alejandro Art Academy, Havana. His work has been exhibited in several galleries in Cuba, at the Havana Biennial, and at institutions in Naples, Italy. Despite his short career, Barreto is a talented emerging artist who analyzes each of his works with old-fashioned perspective, much like Renaissance artists: notes, sketches, reference clippings, etc. Most of Barreto’s works are in private and public collections as well as in The Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO), Miami, FL, USA; Jorge M. Perez Collection, Miami, FL, USA; and, El Oficio: Revista de Arte y Literatura Magazine Collection, Havana, Cuba.
