Puerto Rican artist turns pandemic setback into cardboard masterpieces in new Chicago show

New art exhibit in Chicago tells story of Puerto Rican artist

The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance is opening a brand new exhibit in Chicago.

CHICAGO - A new art exhibit at the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance is made primarily out of cardboard, paper and a lot of imagination.

"La Mudanza: Seeds from Our Past" tells the story of the artist Reynaldo Guaracibo Rodriguez. 

The backstory:

A native of Puerto Rico, he is well known in Chicago for his paintings and murals along Division Street. But as stores closed during the pandemic, he was left without paint or canvas, unable to work. Until he stumbled on some cardboard moving boxes and pivoted, creating elaborate three-dimensional relief artwork.

"I used the cardboard that I had in my storage saving old stuff. I cleaned my storage and then I found the boxes and started creating [art]," Rodriguez said.

He used this new medium to create a series of works that tell his life story, weaving in the indigenous Taíno Caribbean and Afro-Caribbean spiritualities of Puerto Rico.

One work features a large hand with bristles at the end of each finger like those on a paintbrush. 

What they're saying:

"God gave me the gift of being an artist and creating," he said.

"We are really excited to have Reynaldo and to celebrate his journey from Puerto Rico to Chicago," said Ignacio Lopez, the executive director of the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance.

Lopez said the alliance offers an array of arts education classes, including a sculpture class taught by Rodriguez that starts next Saturday. 

The public is invited to the opening reception of the exhibit "La Mudanza" on Thursday between 6 and 8:30 p.m. at the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, located in Avondale/Logan Square, at 3000 N. Elbridge Ave.

On April 24 at 6 p.m., the artist will also host a discussion about his work, decoding some of the hidden messages and symbols in each piece.