José Luis Fariñas (Havana, 1972) is a painter, draughtsman, poet and contemporary Cuban narrator who has achieved national and international approval due to his versatile and prolific creative work. After he graduated at San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts in 1991, and subsequently at the Superior Institute of Arts, Fariñas was able to define a speech of his own full of fanciful, dreamlike and imaginary scenes which seek for dis-automatize the language of art to give it the charm of visual poetry. His artworks, of smooth lines and loose brushstrokes, precise drawing and vivid tones, reveal stories not told yet, stories that emerge from the artist’s imagination and are seeking to find new channels in the minds of viewers. No doubt, José Luis Fariñas is an essential name for Cuban art, one of those names that has set undisputed guidelines in our cultural panorama and that appears today on the lists of the most prestigious collections of art.
EDUCATION
- 1991 – 1995 Superior Institute of Art (ISA), Havana
- 1985 – 1990 San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, Havana
- 1979 – 1983 Manuel Saumell Conservatory
SOLO EXHIBITONS
2016
- Homenaje a Cervantes y Shakespiere, Parliament Salon of Pamplona, Pamplona, Spain
2015
- Borderline Dysfunction, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2014
- Muestra personal, Gallery of the Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, Havana
2013
- Soul’s Documents, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Chelsea, New York
- Las secretas formas, Gallery of the Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, Havana
2012
- Avatares de una biblioteca, Rubén Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana
- Skirting the Apocalypse II, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Tokyo
- Skirting the Apocalypse, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2009
- Imágenes del Quijote, José Martí National Library, Havana
2008
- Cervantes, el soldado que nos enseñó a hablar, International Book Fair, Nicolás Guillén Hall, Fortress San Carlos de La Cabaña, Havana
2006
- El guardián de la ciudad. Opus Habana, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Havana
2005
- The Fine Brush, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Georgia
- The Chaos Beasts, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery and SALA Art Gallery, Chelsea, New York
- Murales del GCafé, 23 y G Gallery, Havana
2004
- Sacred Images, Meliá Cohíba Hotel, Havana
2003
- Fuego negro sobre fuego blanco, Old School Museum, West Palm Beach
2001
- La escritura del caos, Raúl Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana
2000
- Broken Recipients, Simmon Gallery, American Jewish Museum and SALA Art Gallery, Pittsburg
- Ticún, American Jewish Community Center and SALA Art Gallery, Pennsylvania
- From Keter to Malkhut, Cornell University Art Gallery, SALA Art Gallery, Ithaca, New York
1999
- Cuban Jewish Art, Judaic Mizel Museum, SALA Art Gallery, Denver, Colorado
- Cuban Jewish Art Today, The Americas Museum, SALA Art Gallery, Denver, Colorado
- Permutaciones, Inglaterra Hotel Gallery, Havana
- Babel Traces, Margate Gallery, SALA Art Gallery, Florida
1997
- Fariñas en Orígenes, Orígenes Gallery, Grand Theater of Havana, Havana
- Fabelo, Fariñas y Torres, Bernheim Gallery, Panama
- Fonseca, Fariñas y Torres, 93rd South Gallery, New York
1995
- Bernheim Gallery expone, Simolin Gallery, New York
- Orbis Textus, Nefeli Gallery, Berkeley, California
1994
- Fariñas en Arte, Art Gallery, San Juan, Puerto Rico
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2015
- Black Inks, Campus MDC Gallery, Miami
2013
- Centenario de Ángel Gaztelu, Félix Varela Cultural Center, Havana
- El color del sonido, Servando Gallery, Havana
- Por el amor se ve, Félix Varela Cultural Center, Havana
- Zapatillas ilustradas, National Theater of Cuba, Havana
2012
- Fans Forever (Wifredo Lam, Cundo Bermúdez, Mariano Rodríguez, Pedro P. Oliva, Manuel Mendive, Roberto Fabelo), Museum of Art and Design, Miami
- Contemporary Cuban artists, Rainhart Gallery, Brussels
- Zapatillas ilustradas, Los Oficios Gallery, Havana
- Acuarelas II, Lombillo Palace, Havana
- Mirada al pasado, Lombillo Palace, Havana
- Por amor, Los Frailes Gallery, Havana
- Till All is Green, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2011
- Einstein in Havana, Carlos Guzmán Gallery, Havana
- Figuras, Poetry House, Havana
- Peregrinatio, Oxford Hall, Alondegia Cultural House, Zumaia, Navarre, Spain
- Mural por los cinco héroes, Cuba Pavilion, Havana
- Acuarelas (With Pedro Pablo Oliva and Nelson Domínguez), Lombillo Palace, Havana
2010
- Cantidades hechizadas (Homage to José Lezama Lima), El reino de este mundo Gallery, José Martí National Library, Havana
- Aires de gracia, Lombillo Palace, Havana
- Best Bookdesign from All over the World, Type Museum, Leipzig
- Pintura cubana contemporánea (Wifredo Lam, Víctor Manuel, José María Mijares, Pedro Pablo Oliva, Servando Cabrera, Arturo Montoto and Moisés Finalé), Pérez Comendador-Leroux Museum, Extremadura, Spain
- Reencuentro, French Union, Havana
- Para un hombre sincero, Buenos Aires University, Buenos Aires
2009
- En el cosmos, una isla, José Lezama Lima Museum, Havana
- Una leyenda viva, Poesía House, Havana
- Pintura contemporánea, WeilArt Gallery, Panama
2008
- Retrospectiva de la pintura cubana. Siglos XIX, XX y XXI, Miami Dade College, Florida
- La historia en la memoria, Orígenes Gallery, Grand Theater of Havana, Havana
- Once pintores cubanos contemporáneos, Schlegel Foundation, Viña Extremeña de Almendralejo, Pérez Comendador-Leroux Museum, Extremadura, Spain
- Lunas de invierno, Poesía House, Havana
2007
- Almas comunes, Hispano American Culture Center, Havana
- Arte cubano contemporáneo: nuevo milenio, Alovera Gallery, Guadalajara, Spain
- Cuba Gráfica (Itinerant exhibition of Cuban graphic design), Casa de las Américas, Havana
- Catálogo, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
2006
- Einstein in Havana, Humboldt House, Havana
- Summer Collection, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery, Chelsea, New York
2005
- Seis pintores cubanos, Santa Isabel Hotel, Havana
- Aniversario de La Jiribilla, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Azul que te quiero azul: 135 años de pintura cubana, Governor Center, Hialeah
- 5 x 5, José Martí Memorial, Havana
- Mosaicos del arte cubano, Provincial Center of Plastic Arts, Havana
- Exposición internacional, Festival Sur, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Havana
- Exposición itinerante, San Carlos Seminary, San Juan de Letrán Church, Havana
- Martí y Bolívar, José Martí Museum, Havana
- Génesis, 13 pintores cubanos, Raquel Hotel, Havana
- Homenaje a la poesía francesa (Inauguration of Víctor Hugo House), Havana
- 3ra Bienal de Artes Salumec, Saint Francis of Assisi Convent, Havana
2004
- Aproximaciones a su reino, Raúl Martínez Villena Gallery, Havana
- Cuban Art, SALA Art Gallery, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
- Imágenes sagradas, Raquel Hotel, Havana
2003
- Fuego negro sobre fuego blanco, SALA Art Gallery, West Palm Beach, Miami
- Entrelíneas, WeilArt Gallery, Panama
- Espíritu de Habana, Miyako Yoshinaga Art Prospects Gallery and SALA Art Gallery, Chelsea, New York
- Subasta Habana, Galería Habana, Havana
2001
- Pintores cubanos, José Martí Memorial, Havana
- Broken Recipients, Simmon Gallery, SALA Art Gallery, American Jewish Museum, Pittsburg
2000
- La escritura del caos, Raúl Martínez Gallery, Havana
- Salón de arte erótico, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
- Cuba 2000, Jewish Community Center Museum, Youngstown, Ohio
1999
- Pintura cubana, La Acacia Gallery, Havana
- Cuban Masters –Past, Present and Future, Cornell Museum and SALA Art Gallery, Delray, Florida
- Carta del milenio, Inglaterra Hotel, Havana
1998
- Building Cultural Bridges, SALA Art Gallery, Cornell University, New York; Paterson University, New Jersey
- Pintura cubana, Guillén Gallery, Havana
1997
- Subasta de invierno, Gallery Imago, Havana
- Acera del Louvre, 22 maestros de la pintura cubana, Prado Avenue, Havana
- Art Forum, NOMA Contest, Ikebukura, Tokyo
- ARTMIAMI, Bernheim Gallery, Miami
- Biennial of Illustration, UNESCO, Bratislava
- International Mail-Art Show, National Museum of Fine Arts, Havana
- Homage to Kurt Schwitters, Poets and Artists Association, Barcelona
1995
- Pintura cubana, Bernheim Gallery, National Bank of Panama, Panama
- Salón Nacional de Artes Plásticas, Juan David Gallery, Havana
- Bernheim Gallery: pintura cubana, Lufl Gallery, Miami
- LATOF expone, Spitalfield Market, London
1993
- Cuba-ya, Weekend Art College, London
AWARDS
2008
- Raúl Martínez National Award of Illustration, Book Institute, Havana
2007
- Raúl Martínez National Award of Illustration, Book Institute, Havana
- Artist in Residence, Cornell University, New York
- National Award, Ministry of Culture of Spain to LIBER Editions, Spain
2006
- The Professional Elite, The Contemporary Who’s Who 2006, American Biographical Institute, North Carolina
2005
- Butterfly Award, Havana
- Raúl Martínez National Award of Illustration, Book Institute, Havana
1995
- Medal and Certificate, Contest of Illustration NOMA, UNESCO, Tokyo
COLLECTIONS
- Michael Berger Collection
- Juan José Izquierdo Collection
- John Le Carré Collection
- Gabriel García Márquez Collection, Colombia
- Alicia Alonso Collection, Havana
- Leo Brouwer Collection, Havana
- Eusebio Leal Spengler Collection, Havana
- Juan Ramón Llavorí Collection
- D. Hyman Collection
- J. Ramón Montfort and José Hernández Collection
- Roberto Fernández Retamar Collection, Havana
- Steven Spielberg Collection, USA
- A. A. McDonald Collection, USA
- Joaquín Sabina Collection, Madrid
- Juan Pablo II Foundation, Rome
- Permanent Funds of SALA Art Gallery (Society of Advancement of Latin American Art), USA
- Avistamientos Collection, Havana