Warning: If you were planning to attend Manuel Palacio's new exhibition and hoping to find little pink cottages with freshly painted white roofs - you are about to enter the wrong show.

Mr. Palacio has taken the saying “freedom of expression” to an entirely new level. His paintings are set not on canvas or the finest linens, but are instead set on papers from his divorce proceedings and papers from the Immigration Department.

The artist says this will perhaps be his last on-Island show and is currently looking for a way to display his works overseas in the United States.

His work has moved past the pretty cottages and the artist is looking at a study that excites him and this is the study of very intimate body parts.

His new show, ‘Narcissist' opens at the Masterworks Gallery, in the Botanical Gardens this evening.

“It is probably my last show here because I am not doing landscapes and I can't sell my work because I am divorced (from a) Bermudian now,” says the artist.

“It is just not viable and the only reason that I am doing this show is because Masterworks asked me to and also I like doing them because it gives me the opportunity to work on things that I like.

“As an artist I always keep a file on things that I like. Most of the things that I Google have a sexual nature and things that really mean a lot to me.

“My kids mean a lot to me, but these are not images like that. My penis means a lot to me and the divorce has been playing on my head so I have been painting on my divorce/legal papers. I am varnishing them and I am trying to depict how I feel about those papers.”

When asked if he thought that his work or his subject content was just a little too much for Bermuda, he said: “Not really because Bermudians (like this) too, but the only problem is that they like pretending that they don't and they have this super ego under this church banner.

“At least want to be honest about why I am doing things. Why pretend?

“I don't think that I will do another show here unless someone asks me to, but otherwise I will concentrate my efforts on getting shows in the States and getting myself there as well.

“Being in Bermuda is a block and for me it is not working. At the moment I am an expat here so that means that I am a tourist who stayed too long.”

So what does he think that patrons will take away from his show?

“I think most people who know me won't be surprised at all, they'll say, ‘yeah that is a Palacio, he paints penises.'

“But then I think that if some Christians want to go there and get their little freak on and complain about it, then that's all good - that's what art is supposed to do.

“But I want an honest discussion. I am not coming to you with a lie telling you that I really just love the pink houses, maybe Bermudians think that foreigners like coming here and taking your money and buying a big house in the States. I actually came here to live a happy life, rear my children and I am trying to provide a stable environment for them, but I am not being permitted to do that. I have to struggle every damn day.

“I think that Bermudians need to be honest about this when foreigners come in here at least tell them the truth: ‘I don't like you, just do everything we ask you to do otherwise you will be asked to leave'. Put up, shut up, bend over or get the hell out.”

Since his divorce, the father of three now has to have a work permit. Every time he wants to exhibit and sell his work the gallery has to apply for a work permit for him.

“The only reason that I am in Bermuda is because Mrs. (Kalmar) Richards (head of CedarBridge Academy) thinks that I am a good art teacher and she applies for me to work here,” he explained.

“But if that relationship changes, I am an unwelcome tourist who has done nothing for this country - I have been here for quite a long time and I did quite a lot.

“I worked hard and I am a community minded person and I believe in freedom of expression and diversity. I want acceptance for everyone and if people are gay and want to walk in a parade then they should be able to and that is not a debatable thing.”

Since he has been here, he says he has worked very hard. “I worked in the Desmond Fountain Studio, the Education Department and they have called me back every year,” he said.

“I appreciate the work and I appreciate the young people and passing on the traditions to people who love art, but where it falls short is when you have to jump through this hoop or that.

“Young people are honest and I can work with that. If they don't like something they tell me and I can deal with that. It is refreshing. We have a few that really love it.”

His plans are to go to US and work within the art community.

“This summer I want to go and begin to market my work out there and hopefully I'll generate work from there even if I am helping out other artists. I want to be working in art.

“I want to be around people who have free ideas. I feel constrained here and it is not just by the art. I don't like feeling like I am locked in a corner. I don't have any options here and if I don't like them, then the other option is to get out of their country. I have to go an beg for a work permit to express the fact that I am a talented individual.

“So for this show nothing is for sale and it is only an exhibit. There is not a chance for me to even make a living, otherwise I am just somebody that paints pretty pictures for the pleasures of whoever wants to buy them.”

He has been painting the pieces in his spare time and he likes the idea of challenging himself with limited time.

“I am trying to keep them nice, quick and loose,” he said.

“I like challenging myself with a short time, because if I have a longer time to work with I tend to paint and draw and then my whole mindset just changes from the subject matter of what I am thinking on, to what I am looking at because I like what I am looking at.”

Mr. Palacio is also bringing in about ten pieces from previous exhibitions.

“I am always doing the bible, I like ripping it up,” he said. “These are some loose sketches at the moment and I want to keep them simple.”

He is contracted to work for the next year, but if the powers that be don't like his show maybe not. “But this is what I do. This is what I like and this is how I feel right now. At some point I do want to paint those flowers (again), but right now I am not feeling those flowers,” he said. “I love them and they are beautiful, but I am not feeling them.”