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The secret charm of Cuba is recognized in the eyes and traditions of its inhabitants. In Trinidad, a colonial city founded in 1514, José Miguel Cadalso is one of those inhabitants. A 39-year-old cabinetmaker, he draws inspiration from the history of his hometown and indulges in the art of wooden fans.
Miguel Cadalso’s fans in Cuba are unique. They are inspired by the rhythm of the city, the symbols of religious art, and the imprints of slavery. Magnificent intricately crafted fans adorn the white walls of the artist. They are primarily decorative. Miguel himself creates the design, painstakingly crafting it by hand in his workshop. “The fan is always in style, it is both decorative and utilitarian,” the artisan proudly states in his gallery located in an 18th-century house in the historic center of the city, 350 km southeast of Havana.
It all began in 2003 when the young man was just 17. Freshly graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts Restoration of the city, he became passionate about an altarpiece from 1913 installed in the city’s oldest church, the Santisima Trinidad, which had been rebuilt several times after pirate attacks and storms. He decided to restore the artwork in his spare time “for the love of art and faith,” with the initial goal of repairing the ravages of time and the damage caused by termites and owls. This patient restoration work lasted two years and served as a “trigger” for him to subsequently create his own creative universe, although he modestly emphasizes that his work is just a reinterpretation of what history and artisans have bequeathed to this centuries-old city, classified as a World Heritage Site since 1988. A fleur-de-lis copied from an altarpiece, a ring that served as shackles for slaves exploited in sugar cane plantations, a curve imitated from the ironwork of colonial houses, friezes in Hispano-Moorish style, a shape reminiscent of traditional bird cages… “Nothing is invented,” insists this father of three children who tries to make a living through his art.
Every single day, he rejoices in seeing the awe-struck gazes of passers-by who catch a glimpse of his work from the cobblestone alley, as the largest fan on display measures nearly 4 meters in diameter and required several months of work. As for the wood, he recovers planks and beams when interiors of old houses in the city are modernized, primarily working with West Indian mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni), hibiscus (Talipariti elatum), and teak (Tectona grandis). As for his tools, in a country afflicted by scarcities, he would like to have a greater variety of them in order to better reflect the memory of his city in his works.
With AFP.