Charleston International Arts Festival

JOEL JOVER LLENDEROSAS ── b. 1953, Camaguey, Cuba

Layering fabric, cardboard, wood, and paint, Joel Jover Llenderosas explores the human condition in stark images that juxtapose Christian icons with Afro-Cuban spiritual symbols. An artist, curator, and poet, Jover graduated from the Camaguey Professional School of Art in 1970 and is a member of the Unión Nacional de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (UNEAC). His work has been widely exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Cuba, Europe, the United States, and South America. The recipient of numerous national awards, including the Alejo Carpentier Prize, Jover continues to live and work in the land of his birth. (view gallery) *

JOSE RODRIGUEZ FUSTER ── b.1946, Villa Clara, Cuba

A folk artist whose life is as fascinating as his work, Fuster is one of the most prolific artists working in Cuba today. Working with ceramics, canvas, paper, paint, metal, and wood, he transformed his entire home into an infinite living artwork, decorating every pillar and post (even the pool) with his signature whimsical figures and color-infused magic. The spectacle draws international curiosity from travelers and celebrities alike. Fuster studied at the Art Instructors School and the Cubanacán Ceramics Workshop in Havana and has participated in international competitions, exhibitions, and art symposia. In honor of his 50th birthday, the National Fine Arts Museum opened a major retrospective of his ceramics, tiles, drawings and paintings in the Castillo de la Fuerza Museum in Havana. (view gallery) *

JORGE PERUGORRÍA RODRÍGUEZ ── b. 1965, Wajay, Cuba

Best known as an actor in Cuban films such as Strawberry and Chocolate and Guantanamera, Perugorria (nicknamed “Pichi”) is also a director and painter. A 2005 collaboration with filmmaker Ángel Alderete on the documentary Santiago y La Virgen en La Fiesta del Fuego inspired him to create a special series of paintings. Named Chivo que rompe tambo after a lyric by Cuban musician Bola de Nieve, these works explore religion, folklore, politics, and the rhythms of Cuban life in a narrative, almost storyboard format that Pichi likens to stills from a movie, or “fotogramas.” His work has been exhibited internationally, with recent one-man shows in Italy and India. (view gallery) *

ALEJANDRO LAZO MONTANER ── b. 1970, Havana, Cuba

A self-taught painter since he was sixteen, Lazo uses a bold palette and abstract compositions to depict the principles and practices of the Afro-Cuban religious sect known as Palo Monte. One of the few artists working in this tradition based on forest-dwelling spirits, he has attracted critical notice for his increasingly sophisticated symbolism, and his work has been compared to that of Cuban contemporary José Bedia. In 1991, the Cuban artist agency Fondos de Bienes Culturales accepted Alazo and promoted his work in international exhibitions. As a result, his work is now included in many private and corporate collections in Cuba, Europe, and the United States. (view gallery) *

REINDALDO LOPEZ ── b. 1934, Matanzas, Cuba

Lopez graduated from the Matanzas Art School in 1953 at the age of nineteen and immediately began showing his paintings at the Gallery La Rampa in Havana. Since then, he has exhibited in galleries and museums throughout South America and Europe and has become known for his abstract depictions of animals in gouache, ink, paint, and pencil. Lopez has traveled to Africa several times and the influence of African tribal art is evident in his own painting. His work is in several major private collections, including that of American writer Alice Walker. Now painting for over half a century, Lopez continues to live and work in Havana. (view gallery)

* The works of Fuster, Lazo, Gorria and Jover have been made possible through the Center forCuban Studies.