Juan Roberto Diago’s Magic Carpet is a striking assemblage that continues his exploration of Afro-Cuban identity, history, and resilience. Constructed from small, multicolored wooden fragments held together by metal elements, the work evokes a sense of patchwork, both physically and conceptually. The pieced-together structure recalls Diago’s signature keloid aesthetic, where scars—both personal and historical—become symbols of survival and cultural memory.

The title Magic Carpet suggests movement, transformation, and perhaps an escape into an imagined space, resonating with Alejo Carpentier’s lo real maravilloso. Much like Carpentier’s literary world, where reality and magic coexist seamlessly, Diago’s work oscillates between abstraction and storytelling, evoking both ancestral connections and contemporary struggles. The use of wood—a material deeply tied to Afro-Caribbean spiritual and artistic traditions—further roots the piece in an organic, almost ritualistic practice, while the metal elements reinforce a sense of strength and endurance.

Through this work, Diago weaves together histories, materials, and metaphors, crafting a visual narrative that speaks to the resilience and reinvention of the Afro-Cuban experience.