Gregorio “El Titi” Pernía was surprised at the first art exhibition of New York-based Salvadoran Óscar Molina on Thanksgiving Day
From R. Mixco
November 25, 2023 – 2:49 p.m
Óscar Molina left the country in which he was born at the end of the 1980s. More than 30 years later, he enters Salvadoran territory and becomes a successful businessman and an influential visual artist, shaking up the art scene with his collection “Children of the World.”
After erecting one of his impressive white cement buildings in the Apulo Recreational Park on Lake Ilopango on November 10, the compatriot opened his first art exhibition in El Salvador on Thanksgiving Day.
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“These powerful works are inspired by the artist’s vivid memories of his life as a 16-year-old, when he embarked on the perilous journey across the desert to escape the violence in then-war-torn El Salvador, hoping to… to find a safe haven in the United States,” said the statement from the official site of the Salvadoran native Cacaopera, Morazán.
Paintings and sculptures from the “Children of the World” collection by artist Óscar Molina. Photos: EDH / R. Mixco
Part of the “Children of the World” and “Stage of Love” collections interacts with visitors at the Hyatt Centric Hotel in Antiguo Cuscatlán.
The exhibition opened on November 23rd in the presence of the Salvadoran-American, who could not be with his family on this special day in the great northern country.
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But the surprises for Molina were numerous. His guests included not only influential people in the country, but also the Colombian actor Gregorio “El Titi” Pernía, who was surprised at the event.
The communicator Elizabeth Romero managed to get the Colombian actress to dedicate a TikTok to her, the art evening in Antiguo Cuscatlán. VIDEO: Image of illustrative and non-commercial nature / https://www.tiktok.com/@kim007rl/video/7304863105664814341
The South American, famous for his role in “Without breasts there is no paradise”, did not plan to visit the exhibition, but fate brought him back to El Salvador and it was his fans who spotted him in the hotel complex.
One of his admirers, the communicator Elizabeth Romero, discovered him and persuaded the Colombian to give her a souvenir photo and a TikTok, which he published without hesitation on his Chinese social network account.
Although he couldn’t imagine attending Molina’s exhibition, El Titi was seen chatting for several minutes with representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Eduardo Núñez (i), Oscar Molina, Samadhi Fernández, Minister Adviser of the Dominican Republic, and Gabriel Borralles Jiménez, General Manager Hotel Hyatt Centric El Salvador. Photo: courtesy of Elizabeth Romero
Present at the exhibition were, among others, fashion guru in El Salvador René Barrera, Swiss businessman Maurice Dana, ministerial advisor of the Embassy of the Dominican Republic Samadhi Fernández and Whole Foods Market manager Cristabel Molina.
It should be noted that the “Children of the World” proposal is a “Journey to the Heart of Resilience”, a visual initiative that pays tribute to immigrants who, on the way to a place that allows them, make this happen every day with a variety of Faced with challenges and obstacles, live with dignity.
The sculptures included in the collection have begun a migration from north to south and have already established themselves in various public places and private homes throughout the United States; in San Miguel Allende, Mexico; and in Lake Ilopango in San Salvador. Soon these white, eyeless compositions will be found in Ecuador and Argentina.
Molina began his first steps in art as a child in the canton of Cacaopera in Ocotillo, where he also learned to be a farmer.
The artist Óscar Molina with representatives of the IDB. Photo: courtesy of Elizabeth Romero
In an interview with elsalvador.com, he shared that he was drawn to the art of creation from a young age, driven by the curiosity to know how the artifacts that came into his hands worked.
“I liked taking things apart to discover the technology they needed. I took things apart and put them back together,” he remembers. That’s why he felt comfortable in carpentry.
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After his approximately four-week trip to New York, he set out to learn everything he needed to be successful in the United States. Before starting his construction company, he worked in landscaping, which also nurtured his artistic talent.
The works in the exhibition, which will be on view at the Hyatt Centric Hotel for a year, include sculptural compositions made of copper and concrete as well as acrylic paintings.
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