No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveInterview with a Master: Rafa Fernández Speaks Out

Interview with a Master: Rafa Fernández Speaks Out

RAFA Fernández needs no introductionin this, his native country. He is toCosta Ricans what Botero is to Colombians:a cultural icon and a source ofnational pride. But who exactly is the manbehind the public persona?Stepping into Rafa Fernández’s SanPedro home, east of San José, is like enteringone of his paintings. The house is furnishedwith his passions, obsessions andmemories. Here, the artist’s ubiquitouswomen take the form of the doting wife,daughter and maid.The domestic space is also a privatemuseum, an ode to his talent. Some of hismost famous paintings are found here: “ElSueño I,” “La Viajera,” “La Dama delAlba” and “Dama del Retiro.” The livingroom houses Fernández’s other obsessions:mechanical toys and puppets. They areeverywhere, bursting out of curio cabinetsand dangling from ceilings, reminders of amore carefree time when collecting objectswas an end in itself. The house is all aboutFernández, right down to the cat, his fetishanimal. The artist’s presence is felt beforehe even shows up.Once a dynamo who dominated thecountry’s social scene, Fernández nowprefers the privacy of his home. Since sufferinga stroke in 2002, he has granted fewinterviews. However, he says he is nowready to speak out again.Despite health problems, the artistwants us to know he has not stopped painting,or dreaming. At 70, the master can stillcommand attention with a wave of thehand. The body may be weak, but the spiritof creativity is as strong as ever.“PAINTING has been generous tome,” Fernández once wrote. “It has givenme everything. Life never denied me anything,but neither has it given me anythingfor free.”If life has at times been stingy to RafaFernández, art has given him his justreward. The Costa Rican Art Museum helda retrospective of his works in December.In 2002, the Ministry of Culture, Youth andSports awarded the artist its most prestigiousprize, the Magón, for lifetimeachievement. His other prizes and internationalawards are too numerous to mention.Perhaps more important than officialawards is the influence Fernández hasexerted on his peers. A younger generationof artists who studied under the masternow paints in the “Rafa Fernández style.”More than two dozen of the artist’s latestpaintings are being exhibited at GaleríaKandinsky in San Pedro through August28. Entitled “La Mirada Furtiva” (TheFurtive Glance), the exhibit features miniaturespainted this year. Unlike the artist’sdark, tortuous works of 2003, the year afterillness struck, these newest paintings speakof renewal. They are the faces of hope afterthe storm. They are indeed furtive glancesinto the private world of one of CostaRica’s most beloved artists.DESPITE his busy schedule, Fernándezgranted The Tico Times the followinginterview in June. Acting as interpreterswere his daughter and Galería Kandinskydirector Alma Fernández and professorEugenia Yglesias of Universidad Veritas inZapote, in southeastern San José.TT: Ahousehold of beautiful women.Is this how you remember your childhood?Or is it only wishful thinking?RF: For me, women have been the centerof my life. Of course, this is an idealizedfemale concept. I have always saidthat women are the scent of life, the perfumeof a shared life. I came to the conclusionthat in my painting, there is space forneither perpetrators of wars nor predators.There is space only for creators of life.Can you tell us something aboutyour childhood?My childhood was one of honorablepoverty. I had a common background that Imanaged to transform into a sort of magicallife. I became a creator of enchanted objects.Animals such as birds and catsappear regularly in your paintings. Suchsymbols differ from culture to culture.What do these animals represent to you?Since childhood, I had absolute admirationfor Egyptian culture. The cat is amagical animal that can change itself into abird to adorn the head of my women. Thecat represents a mysterious being, waiting,impassive. It has an attitude that one eitherlikes or hates. The bird is like a series ofmusical notes playing airs for our ears.How have your health problemsinfluenced your outlook on life in generaland on art in particular?There is no doubt that what has happenedto me changed my outlook on life.Before, I was on a desperate path, likeSisyphus pushing the stone uphill. Now,calm has come.How would you describe the currentstate of the arts in Central America?The state of the arts here is the same as in other developing countries. Look forit under contemporary art but not underLatin American art. Nobody – no painter– has found the key to Latin American art.Perhaps (Venezuelan painter and sculptor)Jesús Soto with his “penetrables” …But artists here make a contemporary artthat is peer-reviewed, copied from Europeanand North American magazines, lookingfor something that in the end becomesa copy.Can you tell us about your next project?I have an exhibit opening July 28 atGalería Kandinsky called “La MiradaFurtiva”: 25 miniatures painted this year. Itis as if a time of my life has been tornaway, and I have awakened to the subtleworld of painting – my painting.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Wildlife and the Camera Trap Method That Won Me Over

To change your mind on previously strongly held convictions can be viewed in two different lights. You’re either an open-minded individual that allows new information to...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica Green Hotels Lead Global Sustainable Tourism

Costa Rica’s reputation as a leader in sustainable tourism grows stronger every year, with our green hotels setting a high bar for eco-conscious hospitality...

Costa Rica to Launch Electric Air Taxis for Sustainable Travel in Guanacaste

Costa Rica is poised to revolutionize its transportation landscape with the introduction of electric air taxis, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional ground travel...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Costa Rica Hotels Struggle with Mid-Year Booking Slowdown

Costa Rica’s tourism ss facing a slowdown as the mid-year school vacation period approaches. Running from July 5 to 20, the break typically draws...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica