Into the Wild
"Ki Ki Ri Ki" stands as a vibrant and textured painting that celebrates some of South Florida’s most prolific and culturally significant animals: the chickens and roosters. This mixed media piece, with dimensions that feel immediate and engaging, focuses on the profile of a rooster's head rendered with a loose and expressive hand. The bird, with its brilliant crimson red comb and textured orange feathers, is set against a mottled and atmospheric background of deep blues, implying a coastal or open environment. Its open beak suggests the literal action of crowing, captured in a raw and energetic style.
The artwork draws directly from the ubiquitous presence of these animals in South Florida life, particularly in cities like Hialeah. Chickens are deeply engrained in the local Cuban culture, existing as common backyard fixtures where they are often raised for eggs. Furthermore, the piece nods to their integral role in religious practices such as Santeria. The painting’s rough textures, created with gestural brushstrokes and a layered application of medium, mirror the earthy, everyday reality and spiritual depth these birds hold within the community. It is a portrait of an animal that is as common as it is culturally powerful.
In a bold artistic choice, the painting also functions as a form of street influenced graphic art through the use of typography. The title "Ki Ki Ri Ki," which is the phonetical Spanish representation of a rooster's crow, is scrawled large and vertically down the left side. The text is rendered in dark burgundy with contrasting yellow outlines, giving it a graphic pop art quality. This addition transforms the simple animal portrait into a dynamic cultural statement, visually shouting the creature’s distinct and recognizable voice into the space it inhabits.
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Private Collection
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