Surface & Subtext

Exhibitions
Written By Stacy Conde

The Art of Andrés Conde: Beauty, Memory & Cultural Myth

An install shot of three artworks by Cuban American artist Andrés Conde from his solo exhibition Surface & Subtext at Conde Contemporary.

Installation shot of Surface & Subtext

At first encounter, the paintings of Andrés Conde captivate with their surface appeal—luminous figures, crisp compositions, echoes of commercial and pop aesthetics. But beneath this immediate beauty lies a subtext that is both personal and political.

Born in Havana and shaped by a trajectory that spans Spain, New York, Miami, and now Natchez, Conde’s work navigates displacement, memory, and return. His acclaimed SOCIAL series meditates on what was lost in Cuba under the socialist revolution, reconstructing fragments of a Havana erased by ideology.

Equally central are his portrayals of women: unapologetic, unflinching, and psychologically charged. They are never victims, but survivors and warriors, their eyes carrying the weight of suffering while revealing defiance, tenderness, and resilience.

Surface & Subtext presents both the art and the ephemera of a life lived across continents, tracing the evolution of an artist who insists that beauty can confront history, and that painting can witness both chaos and renewal.

Surface & Subtext offers a comprehensive look at Andrés Conde’s artistic evolution, tracing his work from 2013 to the present.

An image of the solo exhibition Surface & Subtext for the Cuban artist Andrés Conde at Conde Contemporary and featuring an early painting in acrylic titled The Boxer.

Installation Shot of Surface & Subtext

Curated by Stacy Conde

Stacy Conde https://condecontemporary.com
Previous

Emotional Architecture
Next

Collect Yourself