Renaissance Man: Alvaro Cardona-Hine

I say Alvaro Cardona-Hine is a Renaissance man because he is a poet, a composer, and a painter—and he is remarkably accomplished in all three.

He has written poetry the longest, starting at age 18 while living in Costa Rica. Coming from a literary family, writing comes naturally to him. His grandfather was one of Costa Rica’s first novelists. His older brother, Alfredo Cardona Peña, was a poet and journalist who interviewed Diego Rivera every Sunday for a year at Rivera’s studio in San Ángel, Mexico, where the two became good friends. Additionally, his uncle was a writer and poet, and his father authored a book at age 70. Growing up in this environment, Alvaro always knew writing was both a vital pursuit and somehow a part of his genetic makeup.

Music, which he studied in college, is the most difficult medium for him, but ultimately the most rewarding. True to his rebellious nature, he abandoned his formal studies and considers himself essentially self-taught.

I recently listened to an elegy Alvaro wrote for his oldest friend, Hank, who tragically died by his own hand last year. Performed and recorded in March of this year, it is a deeply somber, beautiful piece. Interestingly, it possesses a delicate quality—a word Alvaro uses to describe his late friend. The composition even opens with notes that literally spell out Hank’s name. Currently, Alvaro is in the process of writing a symphony.

Eighteen of his books have been published, including two in Spanish, and a vast collection of manuscripts awaits recognition. To say he works hard is an understatement.

Painting came later, in his 40s. He describes it as his most joyful medium: “…all that splashing around with color.” It also provides his livelihood. I know Alvaro primarily as a painter and am particularly drawn to what I call his “black” paintings. However, as he notes, his style shifts dynamically—from dark to light, and from whimsical to heavy. This unclassifiable body of work is precisely why he thrives in his own gallery, where no one forces him into a specific artistic box.

Regarding the fractured livelihoods artists must piece together, he observes: “We have to do whatever we can to make it work. It is in the hands of the higher powers or the lower powers, we don’t know which. Personally, I’m a very pessimistic person. It hurts me to be that way but I can’t just will myself to be different. The world is magical. I just don’t think I’m worthy of it so I work hard.”

Of Alvaro’s extensive writings, a quote from his Mythic Paintings exhibition catalogue at the McAllen International Museum in McAllen, Texas, best captures his philosophy:

“Looking is being part of the fire of the sun;
seeing is understanding how much we belong to flame.
The one is passive and involves no responsibility;
The other actively acknowledges a debt to change.
For those who see, everything is a welcome surprise.”

Love to you all,

Jeane

Originally published December 9, 2010