Jaime Colson is an artist from Tubagua, situated in the northern region of Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic. Colson experienced a transformative phase after meeting Toyo Kurimoto, who later became his life partner. This pivotal juncture not only prompted Colson to incorporate elements from Kurimoto’s Japanese culture into his oeuvre, but it also inspired the portrayal of Kurimoto in a fragmented manner through colour layers that coalesce organically. In 1926, Colson initiated his foray into Cubism, and Japonesa (1926) serves as a precursor to his evolution within this stylistic realm. Its chromatic intensity, formal purity, and inherent organicity remain unmatched in Colson’s subsequent Cubist creations. The inclusion of black circles establishing a visual nexus between heaven and earth is noteworthy, as is the solitary, penetrating eye achieved through a pigment incision that exposes the underlying wood. Colson uses the female figure as an archetype of serene sanctity. Notable is his signature, traversing the composition from top to bottom with features reminiscent of oriental calligraphy.
This is the first time the work of Jaime Colson is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Sara Herman
