By Jorge Emilio Alba Oliveros
Angel Iñigo, is the sculptor and creator of the Zoo Stone, unique of its kind in Guantanamo and in the world. He has five children, Angelito, the oldest inherited his temper and physical appearance as well as his gift of creating figures from the stone.
Iñigo father, has the merit of have giving life to the stones of a mountainous coffee plantation with hard work and effort; his song, has the privilege of assisting him first, and then, continue the artistic project that counts now 425 figures, unique and original work of arts.
The founder is not working now, he retired two years ago, but before that he was sure of the continuity of his labour: ” In 1988, Angelito began helping me as an assistant, till I gave him the chance of developing his own ideas”, says Iñigo father.
“He is very talented and responsible, besides he works the figure related with
other animals, he has more than 90 sculptures in the zoo and many other works in municipalities of the province”, adds the man who is 68 years old now and is very proud of his descendants, two boys and three girls.
“the fact. is that my songs are very good, they all are hard working and nice person, I never complain about them”.
STRONG INFLUENCE
Angelito on the other hand said “since I was a child I had the vocation for the sculpture and of course the influence comes from near; I was barely five when I sculptured a horse that I though was the most perfect work of art ever seen”.
He tells how he played with his brothers and friends and that he always interrupted his games to watch his father work:” I thought he was a magician, working the rock with rudimentary iron instruments; I admired the man that dried his sweat and contemplated the emerging piece.
“During my adolescence and youth I made some works. I remember a sculpture made when I was at junior high school, it represented two fighters in the middle of a fight, with it I won a contest at school and that motivated me to keep on sculpturing”, explains Angelito.
What is the reaction of your father when he sees you modelling or imitating his works? The truth is that he never wanted me to be a sculptor; he always said it was a risky and difficult work and that working the stone was not as easy as it looked, I wanted to study arts and he never did anything to help me out.
But time passed and he realized that I had or I could develop the talent, and so
he began guiding me, correcting my pieces, and of course they began to take shape”.
ARTISTIC LABOUR
“the most important period of my artistic life is undoubtly my beginning at my father’s side. In 1987, ten years after the opening of the zoo I become his assistant and till now I have incorporated more than 90 sculptures to the place.
“I have works in other provinces like Las Tunas, Holguin and Camaguey and also abroad, but he most representative are here.
“At the entrance of the Market in Manuel Tames you can see one of them, it was made in limestone and it represents the typical Cuban farmer showing the products of his harvest.
“One of my last creation, was in the Sixth Edition of the Provincial Festival of Country Music, it is Reutilio Dominguez the famous Cuban composer and creator of the famous song Guajira Guantanamera”.
How is Angelito now after overcoming the risks and barriers of the profession?
“The most important aspect is the acceptance and support of my dad, who has been my teacher all these years. He says I am better than him, but every body recognizes that his work is insuperable.
“Many people think that some of my pieces were done with his hands, I do not care about that but it hurts that people underestimates you, although it is related to someone like my father.
“In my family? I try to be a good son and a better father, as artist, there is a long road to walk”
