Heart of a Lion Art Exhibit Continues

At Rhythm & Spice Caribbean Grill And Bar

By Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

An oasis exists in Cambridge for spirits dampened by the early winter weather, who may not possess either the means or the vacation time to escape to points far south. Rhythm & Spice Caribbean Grill and Bar, with eclectic musical programming, innovative and authentic island delicacies, and ongoing art exhibits, has an all-around, jammin’ groove going at 315 Mass Ave.

Currently, Rhythm & Spice’s walls are graced with “Heart of a Lion,” 14 acrylic and oil canvases by two prominent Black artists, Tod Gaines and Ezra Wube. General Counsel and Creative Director Michele Moseley-Jones said that they are proud to bring these two artists together for the restaurant’s first exhibit.

“We knew of Ezra because I had recently seen some of his work in a small Jamaican art exhibit in a Harvard Square building,” she said. “His paintings really stood out.” She had not heard of him prior to the exhibit, but was very impressed by his powerful work. Anil Batra, the local art producer and artist who had put the show together, approached her husband Robert D. Jones, the restaurant’s President, about displaying Ezra’s art. “Ron Nigro, our general manager at the time, called around arts groups he knew, and Tod was recommended as well,” she recalled.

The showing began on Sept. 8 and continues indefinitely, with regular changes by the artists. It’s a provocative and heady collage, according to Moseley-Jones. “Most of the art work can be categorized as follows: island scenes, tranquil water scenes, music related, and African scenes,” she said.

Gaines, a self-taught African-American artist, has been painting since he was a young child. He abandoned his craft when he got older as it was not an “in” thing among his peers. Following a divorce and job loss, however, he returned to art. “The first painting he created at that time was ‘I Am,’” said Moseley-Jones, who is married to Rhythm & Spice president Robert D. Jones.

“One of my favorite pieces of Tod's is ‘Spoiled,’ she continued. “In it, a woman in a bright floral dress sits on a bench in a garden of greenery and flowers; even her shoe appears to be made of flowers.” Gaines created this painting, as he often does, with dabs of the brush, which in this case, conveys an impulsive and self-centered nature in the woman. (It turns out that the work was created while Gaines was speaking on the telephone with an ex-girlfriend who was dominating the conversation.) There are also tranquil water pieces included in the selection. Gaines’ work has been featured on Channel 44, and has been hung in prominent local places including the Boston Public Library and the State House. He has participated in Roxbury Open Studios, a recent Downtown Crossing Cultural Books and Art Day, and Arts in the Park Festival.

Wube’s oils reflect his colorful childhood in Ethiopia, where there are some 80 differing languages and myriad cultures. His subjects range from autobiography, American Jazz and the Angolan-Brazilian martial arts form capoeira, to the natural world. This past August, he gave a lecture at the International Institute of Boston’s downtown Dreams of Freedom Exhibit. "The subjects of my paintings are a result of my extensive research, travels, imagination, and dreams,” he said. “I am heavily influenced by the Ethiopian painting style that combines strong coloration and high-value contrast.” He explained that his growing up in a large city left him with a strong work ethic, a taste for independence and an ability to conquer challenges. “Ezra’s work has amazing depth,” said Moseley-Jones.

Wube drew the Rennaissance Biblicals paintings he observed in churches as a youth; today, he is still influenced by the heavy shadow and strong light inherent in the ancient forms. Wube is more interested, however, in the energy of a painting than its representation; art is far more than technique for him. “Art is the soul for this world,” he said. “Without art this world would have been only a huge rock and water. Art is the feeling we have for nature and life. It is our response for this complicated world.”

Wube is presently a sophomore at Mass. Art, double majoring in painting and illustration. His future plans including teaching and providing art supplies to homeless children.

Rhythm & Spice Caribbean Grill and Bar is located at 315 Mass Ave. , Cambridge. For more information please call 617-497-0977 or visit www.rspice.com.

Dinner hours are Monday-Wednesday 5-9:30 p.m., Thursday 5-10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4-11 p.m. and Sunday 2- 9:30 p.m.