Paintings in South Miami realty office delight customers
September 14, 2010

At the RE/MAX Advance Realty office in South Miami, clients can peruse new properties — and fine art. Several weeks ago, the workplace began showcasing the work of Kendall artist Alex Yanes, 33, known for his animal paintings in a bold, tropical palette.

“I noticed it right when I walked in,” said client Dina Elias, 36, of a large portrait of a Bee Hummingbird, indigenous to Cuba. Along with the hummingbird, which Yanes says pays homage to his Cuban heritage, the seven paintings on display feature endangered animals, including a blue-headed macaw, an Andean flamingo, an Asian elephant and a Nassau grouper.

The artwork, selling for $2,400 each, are depicted in this year’s Publix calendar. Yanes began his partnership with Publix in 2009. He replaced Romero Britto, who was commissioned for the three previous years.

Yanes said he developed a passion for art at a young age, when his first grade teacher at Calusa Elementary in West Kendall entered his drawing of a headphone-clad Easter bunny on a skateboard in a Miami Youth Fair display.

“I didn’t color in coloring books as a kid,” he said. “I painted my own stuff.”

The artist, who skateboarded growing up and still does, said he has been largely influenced by skateboard graphics and graffiti. The new father said his 17-month-old daughter Marley also has changed his perceptions of art, giving him a more serious side.

“My art now predicts everyday life struggles,” he said. “It doesn’t always have to be happy. It just has to be truthful.” He recently took on the issue of school violence in a piece titled “Crayons.” It depicted a young girl reaching for a revolver in a pile of crayons.

“I’ve got more of a method and meaning now,” he said. “I am putting in some substance.”

Yanes met Anthony Askowitz, the broker-owner of the RE/MAX office, three years ago while he was sharing a work space with another artist in a Kendall warehouse that Askowitz owned. The broker said he believes that Yanes will be the “next big local artist.”

“The economy isn’t the greatest, so if you can make people feel good through art – it’s great,” said Askowitz, 44.

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