Juanma García

Artist dossier

Juanma García

Born 1986, Caibarién, Cuba — Resident of Miami, Florida since 2008.

Artist’s Gallery

Selected works

Style Description

Juan Manuel “Juanma” García engages in visual activism to prompt a thoughtful discourse about Cuba’s present sociopolitical condition. Working across realistic paintings, drawings, and sculptures, his practice exhibits a masterful simplicity and an adept use of a limited color palette. By juxtaposing and re-contextualizing iconic Cuban figures, architecture, and historical symbols, García bridges the gap between past domestic traditions and the translocated realities of exile. Floating these fractured national monuments within dramatic planes of light and shadow, his imagery transforms public civic spaces into quiet, intimate studies of fragmented collective memory.

Biography & Artistic Evolution

• Academic Foundations: Born Juan Manuel García Roque in Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba, in 1986. He studied at the Academia Provincial de Artes Plásticas Leopoldo Romañach in Santa Clara from 2004 to 2008, graduating in fine arts.
• Institutional Service & Parallel Disciplines: His practice spans drawing and three-dimensional sculpture, using disciplined execution to re-contextualize civic structures and connect classical domestic traditions with contemporary commentary.
• Exile, Translocation & Relocations: He relocated permanently to the United States in 2008, establishing his home and studio in Miami, Florida, while continuing to send works to juried salons in Cuba.
• Current Status: He resides and works in Miami, Florida, maintaining an active independent studio practice.

Teaching & Academic Appointments

Notable Artwork Series & Motifs

• Fractured National Monuments & Civic Architecture.
• The Aquino & Marinas Salon Portfolios.
• Sociopolitical Visual Activism.

Selected Solo Exhibitions

• 2016: Delayed Flight, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• 2010: Problemas de Espacio, Muestra Personal, Miami, Florida.

Selected Collective Exhibitions

• 2026: Circular Reflections, Westchester Regional Library, Miami, Florida.
• 2025: Circular Reflections, St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida.
• 2018: Homenaje a José Martí, Milander Center for Arts and Entertainment, Hialeah, Miami, Florida.
• 2017: Hialeah Park Anniversary Exhibition, Miami, Florida.
• 2016: Artists as Activists, National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• 2014: XXIV Salón de Artes Plásticas “Aristides Aquino”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2013: XXIII Salón de Artes Plásticas “Aristides Aquino”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2013: XXVII Salón de Artes Plásticas “Wifredo Lam”, Sagua La Grande, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2013: XII Salón Municipal de Paisaje “Leopoldo Romañach”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2012: XI Salón Municipal de Paisaje “Leopoldo Romañach”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2011: XXI Salón de Artes Plásticas “Aristides Aquino”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2009: VIII Salón Municipal de Paisaje “Leopoldo Romañach”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2008: VII Salón Municipal de Paisaje “Leopoldo Romañach”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2007: XVII Salón de Artes Plásticas “Aristides Aquino”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2006: XVI Salón de Artes Plásticas “Aristides Aquino”, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.

Selected Awards & Achievements

• 2014: Primer Premio, Salón Wilfredo Lam, Sagua La Grande, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2013: Primer Premio, Salón Aquino, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.
• 2006: Mención, Salón Aquino, Caibarién, Villa Clara, Cuba.

Selected Bibliography & Publications

• 2026: Catálogo: Reflexiones Circulares [Curaduría: Miguel Rodez]. InCUBAdora, March 24, 2026.
• 2025: Rodez, Miguel. Circular Reflections: Cuban Art Documentation Project. St. Thomas University Press, 2025.
• 2018: Ferrer, Estela. “Cuadro de historia.” CdeCuba Art Magazine, no. 25.
• 2015: “Arte en el Exilio.” Hänsel I Gretel Magazine, no. 4.

Collections

• National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library Collection, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
• International private collections in Cuba and the United States diaspora.