Francisco Daniel Cabrera Shows at Duck Creek

The Arts Center at Duck Creek’s first exhibition of the season in the Little Gallery will feature works by local artist Francisco Daniel Cabrera. The show, titled “Francisco Daniel Cabrera: (Chemical) Paradise,” runs May 4 to June 2 and opens with a reception on Saturday, May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Cabrera embarked on this series in 2015. While employed at a gas station in Amagansett, a seemingly mundane interaction — a customer’s payment — unveiled an unexpected discovery: the compelling transformation of color on a receipt, caused by accidental smears of hand sanitizer. Captivated by this phenomenon, Cabrera brought the idea home, weaving rolls of receipt paper into larger sheets. By activating the thermal material with chemicals and pigments, he unveiled imaginative, vibrant realms beneath the uniform white paper.

In a convergence of surrealism and abstract expressionism, Cabrera employs unorthodox substances to conjure fantastical worlds from the delicate white paper. Exploring the juncture of these artistic movements, he allows chemical reactions to unfold organically, guiding them to unveil hidden paradises. Through his choice of materials, viewers are prompted to contemplate the interplay of chemicals with contemporary American life, juxtaposing the concealed existences beneath the surface of those residing in an “American Paradise” with those who seek it through immigration.

Francisco Daniel Cabrera affectionately known as “Mijo,” which translates to “my son” in Spanish, was born in 1989 in Cuenca, Ecuador, and has resided in East Hampton since 2009. In 2023, his work was included in the group exhibition “Somos: We Are Latinx Artists of Long Island” at the Long Island Museum in Smithtown. He has shown with 484 Gallery in Montauk, Golden Records in Brooklyn, Ashawagh Hall in East Hampton, Kathryn Markel Gallery in Bridgehampton, Southampton Arts Center, Neoteric Fine Art in Amagansett, and PhotoManhattan in New York City.

The Arts Center at Duck Creek is located at 127 Squaw Road in East Hampton. For details, visit duckcreekarts.org or call 631-604-8464.