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Cuban sculptors José Villa Soberón and Gabriel Cisneros are working on a sculpture dedicated to the troubadour Teresita Fernández, regarded as the "greatest singer" of Cuban children's songs, which was revealed this Saturday in a social media post.
The Facebook page El Señor Corchea shared an image of the piece in progress, describing it as a "preview" of the ongoing work.
"José Villa Soberón and Gabriel Cisneros are collaborating on a sculpture that pays tribute to the great Teresita Fernández. This is just an appetizer as the piece is still in progress."
The mold of the sculpture, crafted from clay, depicts an elderly woman sitting, slightly leaning forward, playing a guitar.
The sculptural work stands out for its high level of realism, with particular attention to facial details such as pronounced wrinkles, a serene expression, the hands, and the folds of the clothing.
Teresita Fernández García was born in Santa Clara on December 20, 1930, and passed away in Havana on November 11, 2013 at the age of 83.
She was a troubadour, storyteller, and educator, and her work influenced several generations of Cubans with songs like "My Little Cat Vinagrito," "Give Me Your Hand and We'll Dance," "Tin, Tin, the Rain," and "The Cold-stricken Cricket."
Set music to the texts of José Martí (1853-1895) and the Rounds of Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957), and their influence was pivotal for troubadours like Silvio Rodríguez and Liuba María Hevia.
Ignacio Villa (1911-1971), known as Bola de Nieve, summed up his art with a phrase that became emblematic. "You don't need anything more than the song."
Villa Soberón, National Prize of Plastic Arts in 2008, is the most renowned public sculptor in Cuba, with iconic works in Havana such as the statues of John Lennon in Vedado, The Knight of Paris in Old Havana, and Ernest Hemingway in El Floridita.
Gabriel Cisneros has been working alongside Villa Soberón since July 2015 in a shared workshop in Havana, and among his collaborations are the statue of Alicia Alonso (1920-2019) at the Gran Teatro and the one dedicated to Eusebio Leal (1942-2020) in Old Havana, which was inaugurated in November 2021.
The new piece dedicated to Teresita Fernández follows the usual pattern of both artists, with a prior clay modeling before the final casting in bronze, the material with which they have immortalized other key figures of Cuban culture.
The final location of the sculpture and the expected date for its inauguration have not yet been announced.
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