Marlon Portales: The Last Man

Spinello Projects presents “The Last Man”, the debut solo exhibition of Cuban-born artist Marlon Portales. The show features a new series of paintings that explore masculinity, identity, relationships, and eroticism, blending reverence for art history with a modern sensibility.

Portales draws inspiration from iconic works like Hockney’s Portrait of an Artist, Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, and the romantic aesthetics of the Pre-Raphaelites. His paintings are set in lush, tropical, and symbolic landscapes, often featuring figures in reflective armour or baroque-inspired attire. These scenes are largely nocturnal, reflecting the artist’s belief that a person’s true nature emerges at night.

A centerpiece of the exhibition, also titled “The Last Man”, depicts a man pierced by arrows, echoing the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian—a symbol of male beauty and suffering. This work addresses the complexities of male identity amid conflicting societal expectations.

Portales envisions a new form of masculinity, combining traits traditionally seen as feminine—like vulnerability and beauty—into his male figures, who exist in a state of constant transformation. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their own identities and the tension between personal and external pressures, asserting Portales’ role as a compelling voice in contemporary art.