Cuban Art

I recently traveled to Cuba on a legal person to person visit. We stayed in the homes of Cubans. In Havana there were so many "street artists". Sadly in the months following my visit the US embargo of oil to Cuba has left these artists who are almost totally dependent on tourism with no tourists or income. Here are a few of the art pieces I purchased in Cuba. I genuinely wish I had purchased more Cuban Art to help more Cuban artists as getting paintings shipped from Cuban artists to the U.S. seems almost impossible at this time.

Did you know that the bee hummingbird which is native to Cuba is the smallest hummingbird and smallest bird in the world? We saw many. They were delightful and so small. This is a painting by a street artist who goes by the name Gerson

This is a small 9 x12 painting by another Cuban Street artist Christian Leon. A very nice young man who is currently painting hands. He has some fantastic portraits also. He shows tremendous promise. You can see more of his work on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/christian.leon.747492

This is a print (1 of 3) is by artist Lester Campa Melo. He is a Cuban artist who is known internationally. It was truly a joy to visit with him in his humble lakeside studio in Las Terrazas, Cuba. While he told us he has had several international exhibitions, If I understood correctly, being from Cuba, he has not been able to get a visa to attend his exhibitions in the United States. I could not afford his original art. As darkness descends on Cuba, I see many of the internet sites where he is discussed are no longer available. If you would like to see more of his work try this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgDKyyWjNa4

Our group spent a morning visiting Fusterlandia, the creation of "Cuba's Picasso" Jose Rodriguez Fuster. He has created a haven for Cuban artists. Its a little commercial. However, the proceeds of the refrigerator magnets and various items based on Fuster's work help fund the location. If you would like to see more of Fusterlandia check this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URfcssOpEPU