I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an art aficionado by any means but I can certainly appreciate great work when I see it and like most others in my age demographic, pop and abstract art are the genres I tend to gravitate to the most. Most likely because of the use of identifiable imagery drawn from either mass media and pop culture which was part of an international phenomenon started by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.

Prior to making my first purchase, I had been under the assumption that purchasing beautiful pieces for my home would require a large financial investment, but learned over the past couple years that’s not necessarily true. And since discovering that, I’m always looking for dope new artists and work to add to my growing collection. I recently stumbled upon two young and exceptionally gifted artists who hail from Habana, Cuba and immediately fell in love. Jean Pierre, a self trained portrait artist who paints the “dance of faces” and Jorge Arriaza Gonzalez, an abstract painter inspired by his newly found freedom who describes his work as “an expression of spontaneity“.

With popularity of Cuban art quickly gaining in Europe, the trend is beginning to filter into Canada. After successfully showing here in Toronto earlier this year, Pierre and Gonzalez will be showing their work once again for one day only this weekend at the MOTIF “Art of Expression” exhibit and reception. These truly unique pieces will be on display and available for sale; prices will range between $150-$1,000. In the market for something personalized? Attendees can commission custom pieces based on any photos, colour schemes based on personal style and landscapes, while enjoying live music and refreshments. A portion of the proceeds will go to help support “Move to Learn Therapy” an organization that helps transform the lives of children with special needs through physiotherapy.