Acana

Magdiel García Almanza's carved acana wood sculptures oscillate between abstraction and figuration, drawing on Cubism and modernist traditions.

Why go

García Almanza transforms salvaged wood from centuries-old Cuban colonial homes into interlocking geometric forms rooted in everyday observation—circus performers, dancers, figures with umbrellas—that suggest bodily presence without fully resolving into fixed representation. Light passing through carved openings creates shifting rhythms of shadow a

What to expect

Six ongoing series of hand-carved acana wood sculptures, each defined by distinctive color applications (radiant orange for the Circo series, regal violet for Girl with Fish). Works range from roughly 16 to 43 inches tall, featuring curved volumes, intersecting joinery, and hollow cutouts that create tensions between equilibrium and motion.

Things to know

• García Almanza's inaugural exhibition with Sean Kelly and first solo show in New York.
• Born 1971 in Camagüey, Cuba; shaped by the post-Soviet "Special Period" marked by economic instability and material scarcity.
• Works primarily with salvaged acana hardwood ("bullet wood"), a durable Caribbean lumber historically prized for moisture and insect resista
• Graduate of the Luís Casas Romero Art School in Fine Arts; recipient of the Fidelio Ponce de León Distinction.
• Six series on view: Circo, Danza, Forma, Girl with Fish, Man with Dog, and Woman with Umbrella.

Plan your visit

The gallery is currently closed for installation and will reopen June 13, 2026. Hours: Tuesday–Friday 11am–6pm, Saturday 10am–6pm. Located at 475 Tenth Avenue at 36th Street, New York.