TOLANTONGO ET LES JARDINS HISTORIQUES

on view from May 8th - June 1, 2024,

Vernissage on Saturday May 11th, 2024, 2 - 5 pm.

With presence of the artist and Fabio Avella Martinez, the consul general of Columbia (1997 - 2003)

Han Modern and Contemporary proudly announces the forthcoming exhibition Tolantongo et les Jardins Historiques, dedicated to the artist Luis-Fernando Suárez. Following a string of successful shows across Mexico over the past year, this exhibition marks a significant milestone as it brings Suárez's freshly completed work back to Canada to be seen here in Westmount, Quebec.

New experiences spark creativity, and frequent visits to Mexico additionally inspired fresh ideas that led Luis-Fernando Suárez to his latest spectacular series titled “Tolantongo.” Borrowing from Nehuatl, a language spoken by the Indigenous people of Central Mexico, “Tolantongo '' consists of two words: “Tolan” (meaning the Sun) and “Tongo” (meaning the Place). This name, translated literally to “Place of the Sun,” thus reflects the significance of the sun in the spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous people who inhabit the region. Tolantongo is a popular destination located in the Hidalgo State of Mexico, which is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes of thermal springs, caves, and steep canyons. 


These newly completed works touch on the artist's admiration and recent experiences he’s had with historic gardens and natural sites. With careful application methods, the artist introduces textures, drips of paint, and imperfections into his paintings, thereby instilling them with a distinct character and vitality. Using a contemporary slurry of materials such as concrete and plaster compound in combination with ink and acrylic paint, these deliberate manipulations of materials serve to evoke the passage of time, akin to the natural aging process observed in historical gardens. His goal is to elicit a visceral response from the viewer, and encourage contemplation on the importance of these natural and man-made sites and their importance to us as a species.