09/01/2026
Froelick Gallery is pleased to present Orlando Almanza’s 3rd solo exhibition "Llévame contigo / Take Me With You"
We invite you to join us for the Preview Reception of "Llévame contigo / Take Me With You" opening TOMORROW: September 2nd, From 5:00 to 7:00pm!
Almanza was born in 1989 in Las Tunas, Cuba and grew up there among an extended family, raising many animals and playing in an expanse of rivers, coconut trees and forest paths. His family and island upbringing influence his paintings to this day. This newest series of oil paintings explores Almanza’s transition from Cuba to living in Portland, Oregon. Almanza’s work redefines
symbolism and storytelling. His energetic paintings pull you into his
dream world of memory, myth, loss, and transformation. Each
painting invites us in, to reflect on what we believe to be true, and to
search for meaning in what we hold dear.
About this series Almanza writes: “The night I left Cuba, as is the
custom to avoid the mal de ojo, I could not tell anyone I was leaving. I
went to my favorite neighborhood bar, Melodrama, and sat with my
friends and neighbors, bidding farewell to everything without being
able to say goodbye… From the moment I left Cuba, I have not
stopped walking, searching for what I left behind. Always searching
for a way to not forget and to take it with me always.”
Image:
"Hijo de San Lázaro / Son of Saint Lazarus," 2026
Orlando Almanza received his Bachelor of Arts in Printmaking at
Superior Institute of Arts in Havana, Cuba. Recent honors include painting acquisitions by the City of Portland’s public art collection and Hood Museum, Dartmouth College, and two large-scale commissions for Hacienda CDC’s Dolores Building, Hillsboro, OR. In summer 2026 he was a Vermont Studio School Artist in Residence, he teaches annual workshops at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, Neskowin, OR, Orlando Almanza joined Froelick Gallery in July 2022
Visit our website to see the full online exhibition and to read Almanza's statement for "Llévame contigo / Take Me With You