French Sculptor Unveils Exhibit Today in Cuba

HAVANA TIMES — The exhibit “Animals of the Planet,” by the French animal sculptor Pascal Masi, opens today and will run through November 7 at Havana Universal Art Building, which is part of the island’s National Museum of Fine Arts (MNBA).

The exhibition — the first of its kind in Cuba — consists of 45 sculptures representing animals from Africa and Europe. The artist’s aim is to sensitize people about the need to protect such endangered species, reported the Prensa Latina news agency.

“To create each work I was inspired by working with different materials — earth, plaster, stone, Styrofoam, welded steel, aluminum, wax and resin — each offering different possibilities,” said the artist.

Masi has worked as a professional sculptor since 2001, and among his awards are the 2011 Sandoz Prize, the Sculpture Medal from the National Assembly in Paris and the Gold Medal bestowed on him by the city of Nancy, France.

The exhibit was organized by the Consulate General of Monaco together with MNBA, which chose the date of the showing to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Earth Summit.