oil on canvas / 300 x 200 cm

2026

Richard Somonte

The Free Mare Approaches features one of the most recurring motifs in Richard Somonte’s work: the mare as a symbol of freedom, movement, and longing. More than an animal, she embodies an idea deeply rooted in the Cuban experience—the desire for wider horizons and the pursuit of a self-determined future beyond the boundaries of the island.

By portraying the mare moving directly toward the viewer, Somonte transforms this aspiration into a tangible presence. Freedom is no longer a distant dream but something approaching with strength, confidence, and inevitability.

The painting also pays tribute to Carlos Enríquez, one of the great masters of Cuban art and a lasting source of inspiration for the artist. Echoing Enríquez’s poetic vision, the landscape becomes a realm of sensuality, fertility, and memory—an exuberant Caribbean world where nature, desire, and identity are inseparably intertwined. Through this work, Somonte establishes a dialogue with the Cuban artistic tradition while reflecting on themes that continue to shape his own practice, with freedom remaining at its very core.