This is a series of recent paintings that I've shown in galleries this Spring. I've been working with cigar boxes for a long time, used them as cases for print portfolios, in sculptures and installations and for small paintings. I have a personal connection to cigar boxes and enjoy working with them. My mom worked at a tobacco farm when she was a kid in Cuba, my grandfather smoked cigars, sometimes he let me cut the cigar for him and would occasionally let me try a smoke just to see what it was like. Being 6 or 7 at the time I'd wince and give the cigar back to him right away and he'd get a big laugh out of it. One of the things I enjoy about working with cigar boxes is opening them up, catching a whiff of the tobacco scent, and having old memories come back. At left is a photo of my grandfather, Fernando Rodríguez, I call him Papá. He passed away about 10 years ago.
Please contact Scott Kaserman at 4th Wall Gallery with any inquiries about the availability of these paintings: scott.kaserman@gmail.com 214-740-9400