Manuel Mendive is an artist who finds his inspiration in a remarkable variety of places. Influenced by artists ranging from Giotto and Fra Angelico to his compatriot and precursor Wifredo Lam, Mendive’s work is stunningly unique and appears to have almost a naïve quality, drawing its source from his profound interest in Santería. Santería, a religion of the Yoruba diaspora, found its way to Cuba from Africa during the slave trade beginning in the 17th century and quickly flourished there. Mendive, as a Santero Cuban of African descent, creates paintings that are at once astonishingly contemporary yet simultaneously ancient in their attributes. In Cuban culture, African spirits are often intermingled with Catholic saints, and the present lot is Mendive’s interpretation of this subject. This work depicts orishas, the minor gods of Santería, surrounded by small metal ex-votos, the traditional Catholic offerings made to saints to show gratitude for answering prayers. These disparate religions come together in one complex, multi-figured composition, which is absolutely iconic of Mendive’s oeuvre. As a devote Santero, Mendive’s paintings often show reverence to the natural world and this painting is no exception. Many figures, both human and beast, surround one central hybrid figure who appears to be transforming from man to bird or vice versa. This mythical and symbolic world is ever present in Mendive’s work, showcasing both his personal beliefs and artistic talent with an art that does not shy away from a spiritual interpretation of the world.