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Michael
(Miguel) Arias is born in Santiago de Cuba into a family of artists and from
early childhood he stands out as one. In
1961 he leaves his native country by means of the "Peter Pan"
movement of the Catholic Church that helped so many young Cubans escape the Communist regime of Fidel Castro. His first
destination is Miami and soon Chicago, where he attends private classes in
still life and portrait. From that time
on he begins to feel a common bond with the great impressionist masters. Two
years later he returns to Miami to join his parents, brothers and
sister. Together they soon move to Puerto Rico. At 21 years
of age he discovers a vocation to the priesthood and
is accepted in the seminary of Ponce, Puerto Rico. After graduating
from the Catholic University he is sent to Rome to continue studies in theology
at the Gregorian University. During this
period he travels extensively throughout Europe thus taking the opportunity to
discover and study the works of
the famous classic masters as well as the new trends in the contemporary art
movements. After being
in the seminary for seven years, unsure of his vocation as a priest, he chooses
to leave in order to discern his
emotions and dreams of forming a family of his own. He returns
to Puerto Rico and receives a dispensation from the diaconate. A few years later he meets the woman who has been his wife for 34
years, Cuban soprano Cristy Arias. They marry and have 3 sons and 5
grandchildren. In Puerto
Rico he attends art classes at the "Instituto Puertorriqueno de Arte" and becomes a student of the famous sculptor and painter Lopez Dirube.
In 1982
Michael and his young family move to Miami once more where they live until the
present moment. During this time of his life, Michael continues his artistic
career, participating in various exhibitions in Miami and Puerto Rico. Up until
1999 Michael's work is noted for its realism in his still life, portraits and
landscapes. The proceeds of the sales of
his art works become an important part of' his family income. On October
18th of that same year, while exercising at home, he suffers a fall that causes
him to become paralyzed from the chest down. With only a slight movement in his
left arm, and with no grip in his hands, he finds himself unable to carry out
the most basic, simple things. In an
instant his life is changed and he has to resign himself to live a life full of
limitations, including having to abandon one
of his major passions: painting. After 9 long years since the date of his
accident, still unable to hold a brush in his hands, a new phase of his art is
"born". Encouraged
by his friend, art teacher and painter Sunny Marquez, he finds an innovative
way to insert the brush into a splint in his left arm. This gives way to his finally
being able to express on canvas the inspiration that had long been
"trapped" in his heart and soul! His newly
found style of painting is abstract expressionism. Quoting Michael Arias: “God
has given me the gift (l'd rather call it THE MlRACLE)
of allowing me to paint again. From the moment I wake
up every morning, I can't wait to go in front of my easel, with the brush attached
to my left arm, to unleash this incredible inspiration that gives new meaning
and purpose to my life". In this new
era Michael comes out with a collection of abstracts, and neoimpressionist landscapes and flowers. |